
Qass. 
Book. 

GPO 



£u. 



i^o4 



^ 



AN ^." 



ABRIDGMENT 

OF THE 



OF 



I 



NEW- ENGLAND, 

FROM 1602 TO 1804. 

CONTAINING A VIEW OF THEIR 

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE, DECLEN. 

SIGNS AND REVIVALS, OPPRES- 

SIGN AND LIBERTY. 

WITH A 

CONCISE ACCOUNT OF THE BAPTISTS IN THE 
SOUTHERN PARTS OF AMERICA, 

AND A 

CHRGNGLGGICAL TABLE of the V^HGLE, 



BY ISAAC BACKUS, A.M. 

PASTOR OF A CHURCH IN MIDDLEBOROUGH = 



pubtofjeli accorDing to aft of Congrefe* 

BOSTON : 

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR^ BY E, LINCOLN. 

SOLD BY MANNING & LORING, NO. 2, CORNHILL, AND BY E. LIN-* 
^ COLN, WATER-STREET, 

1804. 



i \ 



%^ 



.0^ 



4 




PREFACE. 



X HE experience of mankind, from age to age, 
gives the bed light to direct our ways of any hu- 
man means ; and the record of the word of God 
is our only fure guide to eternal life. Com- 
paring fpiritual things with fpiritual, under the in- 
fluence of the Holy Spirit, is the way to bring us to 
that happy end ; and though the writings of all un- 
infpired men are imperfect, yet by comparing their 
various accounts together, we may gain much in- 
ftrudion from them about the accomplifliment of 
prophecy, and many other things. 

Thefe things were much upon my mind in early 
iife, efpecially about the hiftory of my own coun- 
try. And when the knowledge of experimental 
religion was given me, above threefcore years ago, 
it increafed my attention to thefe things. But 
when fome of our chief minifters requefted me to 
engage to write our hiftory, in 1771, the greatnefs 
of the work, and the difficulty of obtaining the 
neceflary materials, were great objedions in my 
way. Yet their importunity prevailed; and I 
fpent much of my time in going to, and fearching 
of the records of the old colonies of Plymouth, the 
Maffachufetts, Rhode Ifland, Connedicut, and of 
the United Colonies, which lafl: are at Plymouth. I 
alfo fearched many other records and papers, as 
well as books of various kinds, and inquired of in- 
telligent perfons, to get all the light I could from 
every quarter And our firft volume was publifh- 
ed in 1777, the fecond in 1784, and the third in 
1796 ; and I never heard of any thing publiflied 
againft the work, though I delired that it might b| 
correded. 



4 PREFACE. 

As feveral things have come to light of late, that 
I had not before, and my ability for writing is con- 
tinued to old age,* I have thought it to be duty to 
reduce the moft ufeful things into one volume, 
with a concife view of our fouthern States, as well 
as to bring the hiftory down to the prefent time. 
And as writers are often incorrect in their dates, I 
have paid much attention to that fubjedl ; and 
have given an exad table of events, according to 
what light I could gain, following the old ftyle, un- 
til the new took place in 1752. 

Many of the new things in this volume were ta- 
ken from Winthrop's journal, publiflied in 1790; 
from the publications of the Hiftorical Society at 
Bofton, and from a book which I borrowed of 
them, called " The Bloody Tenet," of which I know 
not of another copy in America. The accounts 
pf our fouthern States were colleded partly when 
I was in North Carolina and Virginia, in 1789, and 
partly from other fources of intelligence. And in 
the experience of two centuries, in this great coun- 
try, we may fee a great variety of different fchemes 
pf government that have been tried, which may di- 
rect our choice to what is right, and to avoid evil 
ways ; efpecially to guard againft all cruelty, deceit 
and violence. Thefe things are humbly prefented 
to the public, by their aged friend, 

ISAAC BACKUSv 

MiDDLEBOROUGH, Auguft 30, 1804. 



* Eighty on January 20, 18040 



GHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS, 

With fome things not before mentioned, 

1602 THEIR firft church formed - - Page 9 

1606 They become two - - - - - 10 

1608 Both go, to Amfterdam - - . - ibid 

1609 One goes to Leyden - - - - ibid 

1610 Robinfon defends them - - - 11, 23, 64 
161 3 Difputes againft Arminians - - - 12 
161 7 They confult about removing - - - 13 

1620 Excellent advice given - - - -14 
They come to Cape Cod — Plant Plymouth - 19, 20 

1 62 1 Many die there ----., ib. 
But Indians are friendly - - . , ib. 

1623 Relief in diftrefs. — New-Hampfhire begun - 21 

1625 Robinfon dies - - - - , . ib, 

1628 Their debts paid — Salem begun - - 22, 24 

1629 More come over ------ 22 

Maffachufetts charter - - - - - 24 

1630 Plymouth charter — Their church order - 22, 23 
Bofton planted - - - - - - - 25 

1 63 1 Church governs the world - - - - ib. 
Williams comes- over ----- 28 

1633 Alfo, Cotton and Hooker - - - - 26 
Williams goes to Salem - - - - 28 

1634 New oath impofed - - - - - 29 

1635 All to take it — Williams againft it - , 30 
Lands taken from Salem - - - - ib. 
Windfor planted - -- - - - 26 

1636 Lands reftored - - . - - - 31 
Williams banifhed — Plants Providence - - 32 
Does great fervice to many - - - - 34 
Church order at Bofton - - - 26, 40, 66 
Reafons of it - - - - - 33, 39 
Hartford planted - - - - - 26 

1637 Pequot war — But foon over - - . 36,37 
Confufion at Bofton — A fynod called - - 40 
Some^baniftied — Connecticut more mild 41, 26, 42 

1638 Rhode liland begun — New-Haven alfo - 43i 37 
Harvard College founded - - - . 
Providence government - - , , ^^ 

1639 Province of Maine granted - - _ 
Baptift church at Providence — Baptifts elfewhere 45, 46 

1640 Coddington's changes, - - . - ^^^ -^o 

1 641 Account of Knollys - - - - . ^« 

1642 Pawtuxet difficulties - - - - - pj 

1643 The colonies confederate - - - , P2 
Gorton and others confined ' * ~ 53 
Miantenimo killed - - - - . r4 
Williams went to England * - 47> 5^ 



$ CHRONOLOGJCAL TABLE. 

1644 A number baniflied • . , . Page 54 
Williams gets a charter . • - - 56 
Expofeth perfecution • - • j;8 — 61, 69 
Bofton law againft Baptifts - - - - 48 

1645 They fent an agent to England - - • 122 

1646 Seventy pleaded for — Others for pure liberty 63, 64 

1647 Providence colony — A view of their leaders 65, 67 
Extra(5ls from Cotton 49, 58, 60 — and Hooker 68, 141 

1648 Owen for liberty — Others for force - - 62, 69 

1649 Winthrop a good ruler - - - - - 70 

1650 Some for opprefHon . - - . 69, 71 

165 1 Cruelty at Bofton 72, 74 — A good teftimony there 22 
Warwick fufferings - - - . 84, 88 

1652 Baptift teftimonies 72-77 — Letters about them 78-81 
Johnfon .. - - - 33, 37, ^^, 83, 84 
Cotton dies ------ 82 

^1653 Light about baptifm — and about England • 83, 86 

1655 Williams prevails here - - - - 88 

1656 The Maflachufetts requited - - - - 89 
Quakers come over - - - - - 90 

1657 Bradford againft perfecution - - - ibid 

1658 Quakers defcribed - - - - - 91 

1659 Some are hanged - - - - - - 93 

1660 Confcience pleaded for it - - - - 92 

1 66 1 Great cruelty in England - - - - 94 

1662 Injuftice about colony lines - - - 106 
Settled afterwards - - - - - 107 

1663 Swanfea church formed " - " - 95 
1665 Alfo one in Bofton, who fufFer much - 96, 97 

1667 Neal fpake for them ----- 98 

1668 Yet they were baniftied — Caufeofit - - 100 

1669 Moving letters from England - - iOi-r-104 

1670 Divifions about them * - - - loi, iii 

167 1 Another Baptift church - - - - 113 

1672 A difpute with Quakers - - - - 108 

1673 Some Baptifts join them - - - - 110 
1673 Clarke's charader — His faith - - 113, 114 

1676 His death - - -- - - -116 

Indian war - - - - 117 — 12 1 

Chriftian Indians defcribed - - 122 — 124 

1677 Baptifts ftill opprefled - - - - 125 

1679 They increafe - - - - - -127 

1680 Their friends in England favour them - - 128 

1682 Plfcataqua afi^airs - - - - - 1 29 

1683 Williams dies - -- - - - 130 

1684 Charter vacated - - - - - ibid 
1686 Great cruelties here - - - - - 131 
1688 Mather goes to England — his mind is changed - 132 

1691 Nev/ charter given - - - - - 133 

1692 The world above the church — Bofton not fo - 134 



1 697 
1700 
1701 
1705 
1708 
1709 
1710 
1714 
1715 
1716 
1718 
1720 
1721 
1722 
1723 
1725 
1726 
1727 
1728 
1729 

«73i 
1732 

1734 
1735 

1738 

1740 
1741 
1742 

1743 

1744 

1745 
1746 

1748 
1749 

1750 
1751 

1752 

1754 
1755 
1756 
1758 

1759 
1761 

1762 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 

Declenfions defcribed - - - Page 

More of it — Teftified againft - - 137, 

Epifcopal fcheme - - - - 138, 

Attempts for lordly power - - • 

Conne(5ticut got it « . - - - 

Churches corrupted - - - - - 

Norwich cafe - - - - - 142* 

Queen removed in mercy - • - 

Lordly power attempted again . . - 

Again condemned - - - 

Bofton ordination . - - . - 

BaptilVs liberality - ... 

Revivals of Religion — Comer converted - 152, 

Dartmouth oppreffed - - - - 

Increafe Mather dies ... 

Miniflers try for more power 

Inconfiftent therein - . • . 

Great earthquake - - 

Pharaoh imitated .... 

Many were imprifoned . - • - 

Baptift minifters fettled • . - - 

A new Baptift church - - - - 

Two minifters die - . - - 

Another church formed - ... 

A great work at Northampton 

Callender dies - • * * 

Of Congregational churches 

Low ftate of religion i6i-But it was greatly revived 

It fpreadfar 163 — Nature of the work 

Laws againft it 167 — Edwards for it - 165, 

Chauncy againft it 168 — Condemns himfelf 

Finley perfecuted - - - - 

Violence againft the work - 174, 



Divifions caufed by it 
A new church formed 
Whitefield abufed 
Robbins much more 
Separate ordinations 
Minifters lofe by it 
Cruel laws fufpended 
Edwards cruelly rejedled 
He is ufeful elfewhere 
Imprifonment for taxes 
Oppofition abates 
Another earthquake 
The Baptifts increafe 
Wallingford divifion 
Epifcopal fcheme 
More Baptift churches 
Religion again revived 



177) 



»75> 
178, 



188, 189, 



191, 192, 194, 
i94» 



7 

3<S 

73 
2or 

38 
39 

45 
87 
38 
43 
44 
46 

47 
S^ 

49 

50 
bid 
bid 

60 

51 

bid 

56 

5S 

56 

bid 

60 

57 

58 
62 

64 

73 
70 

72 

77 

80 

77 
83 

85 

78 
86 

bid 

82 

bid 

207 

93 

97 

96 

96 

97 
bid 

bid 



8 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 

1763 It fpreads far - - . . Page i^ 

1764 A Baptift college begun, on liberal principles - 199 

1765 Haverhill church begun - - - 200 
1767- The tea adt pafTed — Epifcopalians ftir - 200,201 
1768 Chauncy inconfiftent - - - - 202,213 

1770 Eftablifhments defcribed * - - - 203 

1 77 1 A drunkard favoured - - - - 204 

1772 Univerfalifm - - -. - 205 

1 774 Religion revived again-New attempts for liberty 205,209 

1775 A cruel war came on - - - - 211 

1776 Union and plenty in it - - . - ibid 

1777 An army captivated - - -? - 

1778 Pepperell riot - - - - - - 212 

Quakers divided — Baptifts united - - 213 

1 779 Baptifts falfely accufed — Oppreffion continued by it 214 

1780 Confcience pleaded for It - - - 215 
Chrift's kingdom defcribed - ■* 216 
Baptift churches increafe . . - 

1 781 Another army captivated 

1782 Peace propofed - . - - 

1783 It is eftablifhed - - - - - 223 
Yet minifters claimed a power from England - 217 
And accufe us falfely - - - - ibid 

1784 Methodifm defcribed — And other bifliops - 218, 220 

1785 Oppreffion continued - - - - -218 

1786 Liberty in Virginia ----- 222 

1787 New conftitution formed - - - - 223 

1788 It is adopted - - „ - - ibid 
Minifters inconfiftent - • - - - - 224 

1789 Liberty more fecured ----- 225 

1790 Eaftern and weft ern revivals - - 226,227 

1791 Manning dies — but has good fuccefTors - 229 
1793 Minifterial power opened - - - - 230 

1795 New oppreftions -- - - - - 232 

1796 Others kind - - - - 234 

1798 New revivals - - - - - - 235 

1799 The work extends far - - - 239 

1800 Virginia fharesin it - - - - 241 

1 80 1 Vaft numbers baptized - - - 242 

1802 A book againft it — Remarks thereon - 242, 243 
Account of South-Carolina — Pennfylvania — New- 

Jerfey — North-Carolina^ — Virginia — Georgia — 
New- York — Kentucky - - - 247 — 258 
AfTociations defcribed - - - - - 259 
1804 Number of Baptifts in the United States - 261 

Late revivals - - - - - 262 

Their likenefs to the fathers of New-England - ibid 
How infant baptifm originated - - - ibid 
Happy change in our government • - 264 

The latter day glory - - " • - ^^^ 



A 

C:|)tttc|) ^iftoxv 

OF 

NEW-ENGLAND. 



,.«..<..<..<,^>«^A..^j^5>>..>..>..>.. 



CHAP. I. 

Their firjl church formed, — They divide into two* 
They remove to Amjierdam, — One goes to Leyden*^^ 
They increafe to three hundred, — Part of them come 
to America, — Here many of them die, — Tet the reji 
areprofpered, — Robinfon dies in Holland, — Tet more 
come over,-^Their charter given,'-^Their church or* 
der> 



T. 



HE light of Reyelation, and the fuperftitions 
and perfecutions of the church of England, were 
the caufes of the firft planting of New-England. 
A number of people near the borders of the coun- 
ties of York, Nottingham and Lincoln, were fo 
much convinced of the corruptions of the church 
of England, that they withdrew* from her in 1602, 
and formed another church, in which they cove- 
nanted together, to walk in all the ordinances and 
commandments of God, according to the light he 
had given, or fhould give them out of his holy 
word. But for fo doing they were cruelly perfe- 
cuted by the ruling powers of the national church. 
Yet they increafed fo much in about four years, as 

B 



10 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. I. 

to divide into two churches ; and this incre'afed 
the refentment of their enemies fo much, that they 
removed to Amfterdam in 1608. One of thefe 
churches had the aged Mr. Richard Clifton and 
Mr. John Robinfon for their paftors ; but Clifton 
died at Amfterdam.* And as contentions had 
broken out in the other church, Mr. Robinfon 
and his people removed to Ley den in 1609, though 
to their temporal difadvantage. There they lived 
in peace and harmony, and increafed to three hun- 
dred communicants. 

This caufed much unealinefs in the church of 
England, and many things were publifhed againft 
them. Mr. Richard Bernard of Nottinghamfhire, 
in particular, wrote a large book againft them, 
which Mr. Robinfon anfwered in 1610; and he 
obferves, that becaufe one Bolton, in the early 
part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, formed a 
church in a way of feparation from the church of 
England, which perfecution brought him to re- 
nounce, and afterwards to hang himfelf ; and Ro- 
bert Brown, a minifter of that church, came out 
and formed feveral feparate churches, and yet turn« 
ed back again into the national church, Mr. Ber« 
nard brought thefe inftances as arguments againft 
all who feparated from them. Upon which Rob- 
infon faid, " The univerfal apoftafy of all the bifli- 
ops, minifters, ftudents .in the univerfities, yea, of 
the whole church of England in queen Mary's 
d'ays (a handful in comparifon excepted) might 
more colourably be urged by the papifts againft 
Mr. Bernard, than fome few inftances againft us. 
The fall of Judas, an apoftate, of Nicolas one of the 
feven deacons, and of Demas, one of Paul's fpecial 
companions in the miniftry, fufiiciently teach us 
that there is no caufe fo holy, nor calling fo excel- 
lent, as not to be fubjed to the invafion of painted 

* Prince's Chronology, page 254. 



i6io.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. ir 

hypocrites.* And as Mr. Bernard referred to ma. 
ny evils in the primitive churches, as a plea that 
the church of England might be a true church of 
Chrift, notwithftanding all her corruptions, Robin- 
fon fays, " It is true that the apoftles mentioned 
them, but always with utter dillike, fevere reproof, 
and ftricl charges to reform them. Rom. xvi. 1 7. 
I Cor. V. I Their, v. 14. 2 TheiT. iii. 6. i Tim» 
vi. 5. Rev. ii. 14 — i^, 20. But how doth this 
concern you ? Though Paul and all the apoftles 
with him ; yea, though Chrift himfelf from heaven 
fhould admonifh any of your churches to put away 
any perfon, though never £0 heretical or flagi- 
tious, you could not do it."f " Your prelates 
govern, or rather reign, but teach not ; your par- 
ifti priefts teach fo much as they dare for fear of 
their imperious lords, but they govern not.'^t 
^'Nothing hath more advanced the throne of anti- 
chrift in former days, nor doth more uphold it at 
this day, than the people's difcharging themfelves 
of the care of public affairs in the church, on the 
one fide, and the priefts and prelates arrogating all 
to themfelves, on the other."li *' And I doubt 
not but Mr. Bernard, and a thoufand more minif- 
ters in the land (were they fecure of the magif- 
trate's fword, and might they go on with good li- 
cence) would wholly fhake off their canonical obe- 
dience to their ordinaries, and negled their cita- 
tions and cenfures, and refufe to fue in their 
courts, for all the peace of the church, which they 
commend to us for fo facred a thing," § 

This remark was plainly verified in the vaft 
numbers who afterwards came over to New-Eng- 
land, who did not feparate from the national 
church before they came away. The follow* 

* Robinfon, page 53 — ^^. 

f Robinfon, page 82 . J359. i|2P4, 

j Robinfon, page 14. 



12 A CHURCH HISTORY. [Ch.L 

ing account may give us fome idea of his views of 
gofpel doctrines. JamcsArminius, aprofeffor of di- 
vinity in the univerfity of Leyden, died there in 1609 ; 
but the opinions he had advanced have caufed much 
controverfy ever lince. It was fo fharp at Leyden 
in 161 2, between the two profeffors in their univer- 
fity, that few of the difciples of the one would hear 
the other ; but Mr. Robinfon, though he preached 
thrice a week, and wrote fundry books, befide ma- 
ny other labours, yet went conftantly to hear them 
both, whereby he was grounded in the controver- 
fy, and faw the force of all their arguments. And 
in 1 61 3, Epifcopius fet forth fundry Arminian 
thefes at Leyden, which he would defend in pub- 
lic againft all oppofers ; upon which Polyander, 
and the chief preachers of the city, defired Mr. 
Robinfon to difpute againft him. But being a 
ftranger, he was loath to engage ; Yet the other tell- 
ing him, that fuch was the ability and expertnefs 
of the adverfary, that truth was in danger of fuffer- 
ing if he would not help them, he at length yields ; 
and when the day came, he defended the truth and 
foiled the oppofer, fo as to put him to an appar- 
ent nonplus in a great and public audience. The 
fame he does a fecond and a third time, upon like 
occafions ; which caufed many to praife God, and 
highly to efteem Mr. Robinfon.* 

Thus it appears that Mr. Robinfon was a firm 
believer of thofe dodrines which are called Calvin- 
ifm, while he was earneft for allowing all men lib- 
erty of confcience; and that the contrary behaviour 
of many was not owing to that plan of dodrine, 
but to other caufes. For the rulers in Holland held 
firmly to that dodrine, and yet they eftabliflied 
fuch religious liberty as was not tKen enjoyed in any 
other part of Europe. . But though their religious 

* Prince's Chronology, p. 36, 38. 



2613.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 13 

privileges were great, yet many other things caufed 
Mr. Robinfon and his people to defire a removal to 
a better country. For moft of them had been bred 
to hufbandry, which they had not advantages to 
follow in Holland ; and the language and manners 
of the Dutch were not agreeable to them ; and their 
little regard to the fabbath, and other religious du- 
ties, were ofFenfive to them ; and the climate of the 
country was not favourable to their health, but 
their children were oppreffed with labour and dif- 
eafe, fo as to abate the vigour of nature in early 
age ; neither could they be willing to lofe their 
intereft in the Englifli nation, and the government 
thereof, if they could obtain liberty of confcience 
from thence. And they believed that if they could 
have fuch liberty granted them in America, many 
would remove thither, who would enlarge the Eng- 
lifli dominions, and alfo fpread the light of the gof- 
pel among the heathen. They therefore fent two 
agents to England in 16 17, to petition for fuch lib- 
erties and privileges. And having received fome 
encouragement from the Council there, who had 
the care of the American affairs, Mr. Robinfon and 
Elder Brewfter wrote to them thefe encouraging 
confiderations. " i. We verily believe and truil 
that the Lord is with us ; to whom and whofe fer- 
vice we have given ourfelves in many trials, and 
that he will gracioufly profper our endeavours ac- 
cording to the iimplicity of our hearts. 2. We are 
well weaned from the delicate milk of our mother 
country, and inured to the difficulties of a ftrange 
land. 3. The people are, for the body of them, 
induflrious and frugal, we think we may fafely fay, 
as any company of people in the world. 4. We 
are knit together as a body, in a moft ftricl and fa- 
cred bond and covenant of the Lord ; of the viola- 
tion whereof we make great confcience, and by vir- 
tue whereof we hold ourfelves ftraitly tied to all 
care of each other's good, and of the whole. 5. It 



14 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. L 

is not with us, as with other men, whom fmall 
things can difcourage, and fmall difcouragements 
caufe to wifh ourfelves at home again."* 

Herein they were not miftaken, as will foon ap- 
pear ; for though contentions in faid council, and 
other things, delayed their proceedings for three 
years, and they could not obtain a promife of lib- 
erty of confcience in this country, but only that the 
king would connive at them, and not moleft them, 
if they carried peaceably, " yet, cafling themfelves 
on the care of Providence, they refolved to ven- 
ture.'^ But as they could not obtain help enough, 
from the merchant adventurers in England, to car- 
ry over half of their fociety at firft, Mr. Robinfon 
was obliged to Hay with the majority in Holland, 
while elder Brewfter came with the reft to Amer- 
ica. And before they came away Mr. Robinfon 
gave them this folemn advice. Said he, *' We 
are now to part afunder, and the Lord knoweth 
whether I Ihall live to fee your faces again : but 
whether he hath appointed it or not, I charge you 
before God and his bleffed angels, to follow me no 
further than I have followed Chrift. And if God 
fhall reveal any thing to you by any other inftru* 
ment of his, be as ready to receive it as ever you 
were to receive any truth by my miniftry ; for I 
am very confident that the Lord has more truth 
and light yet to break forth out of his holy word. 
Here he took occafion to bewail the ftate and con- 
dition of the reformed churches, who were come 
to a period in religion, and would go no further 
than the inftruments of their reformation. As for 
example, the Lutherans could not be drawn to go 
beyond what Luther faw ; for whatever part of 
God's will he had further imparted and revealed to 
Calvin, they will rather die than embrace it. And 
fo you fee the Calvinifts, they ftick where he left 

* Prince, p. 51, 52. 



i62o.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 15 

them, a mifery much to be lamented ; for though 
they were precious fhining lights in their times, yet 
God has not revealed his whole will to them. And 
were they now living, they would be as ready and 
willing to embrace further light, as that they had 
received. And here I muft put you in mind of 
our church covenant, wherein we promife and cov- 
enant with God and one another, to receive what- 
foever light or truth that fliall be made known to 
us from his written word. But withal I exhort 
you to take heed what you receive for truth, and 
well to examine and compare it with other Scrip- 
tures before you receive it ; for it is not poflible 
that the chriftian world Ihould come fo lately out 
of fuch thick antichriftian darknefs, and that full 
perfection of knowledge ihould break forth at 
once.*" 

And after an afFeclionate parting, Mr. Robinfonj 
on July 27, 16205 fent them the following letter : 

** Loving Chr'ijiian Friends, 

*' I do heartily, and in the Lord falute you, as be- 
ing thofe with whom I am prefent in my beft affec- 
tions, and moft earneft longing after you, though 
I be conftrained for awhile to be bodily abfent from 
you : I fay conftrained ; God knowing how will- 
ing, and much rather than otherwife, I would have 
borne my part with you in this firft brunt, were I not 
by ftrong neceflity held back for the prefent. Make 
account of me in the mean time as a man divided 
in myfelf, with great pain (and as natural bonds fet 
afide) having my better part with you : and al- 
though I doubt not but in your godly wifdoms 
you both forefee and refolve upon that which con- 
cerneth your prefent ftate and condition, both 
feverally and jointly ; yet have I thought it but my 
duty to add fome further fpur of provocation unto 
them who run already, if not becaufe you need it, 

* Winflow againft Gorton, p. 97, 98. 



1 6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.L 

yet becaufe I owe it in love and duty. And firft, 
as we are daily to renew our repentance with our 
God, efpecially for our fins known, and generally 
for our unknown trefpafles ; fo doth the Lord call 
us in a finguiar manner, upon occalions of fuch 
diiEculty and danger as lieth upon you, to both a 
narrow fearch and careful reformation of your ways 
in his iight, left he, calling to remembrance our 
lins forgotten by us, or unrepented of, take advan- 
tage againft us, and in judgment leave us to be 
fwallowed up in one danger or other. Whereas, 
on the contrary, fin being taken away by earneft 
repentance, and the pardon thereof from the Lord 
fealed up to a man's confcience by his Spirit, great 
Ihall be his fecurity and peace in all dangers, fweet 
his comforts in all diftre&s, with happy deliverance 
from evil, whether in life or death. 

" Now next after this heavenly peace with God 
and our confciences, we are carefully to provide for 
peace with all men, what lieth in us, efpecially 
with our affociates ; and, for that watchfulnefs 
muft be had, that we neither at all in ourfelves do 
give,no,noreaiily take offence being given by others. 
Wo be to the world for offences ; for although it 
be neceffary, confidering the malice of Satan and 
men's corruptions, that offences come, yet wo un- 
to the man, or woman either, by whom the of- 
fence Cometh, faith Chrift, Mat. xviii. 7. And if 
offences in the unfeafonable ufe of things in them- 
felves indifferent be more to be feared than death 
itfelf, as the apoftle teacheth, i Cor. ix. 15. how 
much more in things fimply evil, in which neither 
the honour of God, nor love to man is thought 
worthy to be regarded ! Neither yet is it fufEcient 
that we keep ourfelves by the grace of God from 
giving offence, except withal we be armed againft 
taking of them when they are given by others ; 
for how imperfed and lame is the work of grace 
in that perfon, who wants charity to cover a mul- 



1 620.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 17 

titude of offences ! as the fcripture fpeaks. Nei- 
ther are you to be exhorted to this grace, only up- 
on common grounds of Chriftianity, which are, 
that perfons ready to take offence either want 
charity to cover offences^ or duly to weigh human 
frailties ; or laftly, are grofs though clofe hypocrites, 
as Chrift our Lord teacheth, Mat. vii. i — 3. As 
indeed, in my own experience, few or none have 
been found who fooner give offence, than fuch as 
ealily take it ; neither have they ever proved 
found and profitable members in focieties, who 
have nouriihed this touchy humour. But befides 
thefe, there are divers motives provoking you 
above others to great care and confcience of this 
way ; as firft, there are many of you ftrangers, as 
to the perfons fo to the infirmities of one another, 
and fo ftand in need of more watchfulnefs this way, 
lefl: when fuch things fall out in men and women 
as you exped:ed not, you be inordinately affedled 
Xyith them, which doth require at your hands much 
wifdom and charity for the covering and prevent- 
ing of incidental offences that way. And lafiily, 
your intended courfe of civil community* will 
minifter continual occafion of offence, and be as fu- 
el for that fire, except you diligently quench it 
with brotherly forbearance. And if taking offence 
caufelefsly or eafiiy at man's doings, be fo carefully 
to be avoided, how much more heed is to be taken 
that we take not offence at God himfelf ! which 
we certainly do, fo oft as we murmur at his provi- 
dence in our croffes, or bear impatiently fuch afflic- 
tions wherewith he is pleafed to vifit us. Store up 
therefore patience againft the evil day ; without 
which we take offence at the Lord himfelf in his 
holy and juft works. There is a fourth thing care- 
fully to be provided for ; viz. That with your com- 

* For feven years their affairs were managed in one common 
ftock, 

c 



1 8 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. L 

men employments you join common affections tru- 
ly bent upon the general good, avoiding as a dead- 
ly plague of both your common and fpecial com- 
forts, all retirednefs of mind for proper advantage, 
and all ilngularly afFeded every manner of way ; 
let every man reprefs in himfelf, and the whole 
body in each perfon, as fo many rebels againft the 
common good^ all private refpeds of men's felves, 
not forting with the general convenience. And 
as men are careful not to have a new houfe fliaken 
with violence, before it be well fettled, and the 
parts firmly knit ; fo be you, I befeech you, breth- 
ren, much more careful that the houfe of God 
(which you are) be not fhaken with unneceffary 
novelties, or other oppofitions at the firft fettling 
thereof. 

" Laftly, whereas you are to become a body poli- 
tic, ufing civil government among yourfelves, and 
are not furniihed with fpecial eminency above the 
reft, to be chofen by you into ofEce of government ; 
let your wifdom and godlinefs appear, not only in 
choofing fuch-perfons as do entirely love, and will 
promote the common good ; but alfo in yielding 
unto them all due honour and obedience in their 
lawful adminiftrations ; not beholding in them the 
ordinarinefs of their perfons, but God's ordinance 
for your good ; not being like the fooliih multi- 
tude, who honour the gay coat more than either the 
virtuous mind of the man, or the glorious ordi- 
nance of the Lord; but you know better things, 
and that the image of the Lord's power and author- 
ity, which the magiftrate beareth, is honourable in 
how mean perfons foever ; and this duty you may 
the more willingly, and ought the more confciona- 
ably to perform, becaufe you are (at leaft for the 
prefent) to have them for your ordinary govern- 
ors, which yourfelves fliall make choice of for that 
work. 



i62o.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 19 

" Sundry other things of importance I could put 
you in mind of, and of thofe before mentioned in 
more words ; but I will not fo far wrong your god- 
ly minds, as to think you heedlefs of theie things, 
there being alfo divers among you fo well able both 
to admonifh themfelves and others of what con- 
cerneth them. Thefe f€w things, therefore, and 
the fame in a few words, I do earneftly commend 
to your care and confcience, joining therein with 
my daily incelTant prayers unto the Lord, that he 
who made the heavens, and the earth, and fea, and 
all rivers of water, and whofe providence is over 
all his works, efpecially over all his dear children 
for good, would fo guide and guard you in your 
ways, as inwardly by his Spirit, fo outwardly by 
the hand of his power, as that both you, and we 
alfo, for and with you, may have after matter of 
prailing his name all the days of your and our lives. 
Fare you well in him in whom you truft, and in 
whom I reft, an unfeigned well-wifher to your hap- 
py fuccefs in your hopeful voyage. 

JOHN ROBINSON."* 

This they received at Southampton in England ; 
and thefe excellent inftruclions had lafting influ- 
ence upon their pofterity. Two ihips had been 
provided to carry them to America, but after fail- 
ing twice, and turning back, one of them was left, 
and the other failed from Plymouth, September 6, 
and landed on Cape Cod, November 1 1. And 
as this was northward of where they had any pa- 
tent, they drew a covenant for their civil govern- 
ment, which was (igned before they landed by 
John Carver, William Bradford, Edward Winf- 
low^ Ifaac Allerton, William Brewfter, Miles Stan- 
difh, John Alden, Samuel Fuller, and thirty three 
more, their whole number being loi fouls. Mr. 
Carver was chofen their governor ; and they had 

* Morton, page 7 — 10. 



20 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. L 

a tedious time to find out a place to fettle in ; but 
on December 16, 162©, the fhip came into the har- 
bour which they called Plymouth, and then they 
had to build themfelves habitations, in a cold win- 
ter feafon, without any friend to help them. They 
intended to have gone to Hudfon's river, but the 
Dutch had hired the mafter of the fliip deceitfully 
to prevent it ; though God meant it for their 
good ; for the Indians were numerous there, while 
there were none here. A great licknefs a few 
years before had laid this place defolate, and had 
fwept off moft of the Indians for forty miles round, 
fo that thofe who remained were glad of their 
help againft the Narraganfets, where the ficknefs 
did not reach ; and here were fields ready cleared 
for them, who had no cattle to help them till 
feveral years after. 

How wonderful are the works of God ! Yea, 
and his judgments are a great deep ; for by reafon 
of their long voyage, and the difficulties of the win- 
ter following, without good accommodations, near 
half of their company died in fiiL months, among 
whom was governor Carver and his wife. Yet 
the furvivors were wonderfully fupported,. and the 
chief fachem of the Indians in thefe parts came to 
Plymouth in March, 1621, and entered into a 
friendly covenant with them, which lafted all their 
days. Afterwards fome friends in England wrote 
to them, and faid, " we are ftill perfuaded, you are 
the people that muft make a plantation, and erecl a 
city in thofe remote places, when all others fail."* 
And they will be remembered to the lateft pof- 
terity, 

MafTaffoit, the fachem who had made a league 
with them, having found out a plot which was laid 
againft the Englifh in the fpring of 1623, by 
fome Indians in the Maffachufetrs Bay, informed 

* Hlftorical Scclety, vol. 3, page 33. 



i628.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. ai 

our fathers of Plymouth of it, andadvifed them to 
cutoffa few leaders in it, whom he named, which 
they did, and fo the plot was entirely cruihed.* 
Such a fcarcity alfo came upon them in that year, 
that they had no bread at Plymouth from the time 
of their planting until their corn was grown ; but 
they lived upon fiih, deer, fowls and ground nuts. 
And to add to their trials, a great drought came 
on with heat, from the third week in May to the 
middle of July, fo that their corn withered as if it 
were dead ; and a Ihip which they had long expell- 
ed did not arrive, but they thought they faw figns 
of its being wrecked on the coafls. This was dif- 
trefGng indeed ; but their authority fet apart a day 
of failing and prayer to feek help from their God, 
and they found it was not in vain ; for though the 
former part of the day was clear and hot, yet before 
their exercife was over the clouds gathered, and dif- 
tilled next morning in gentle fhowers, and fo for 
fourteen days together, which revived their corn 
and other fruits, fo that they had a plentiful har- 
veft. And foon after, the fhip which they expected 
arrived, and another in a few days, wherein came 
fixty of their friends. t And they never had fuch 
fcarcity afterwards. 

Mr. Robinfon and the mod of his people were 
detained in Holland, until, after a fliort ficknefs, 
he died there on March i, 1625, in the fiftieth 
year of his age, greatly lamented by his people both 
there and here. His family came over afterwards, 
and his fon Ifaac lived to be above ninety years old, 
and left male pofterity in the county of Barnflablec 
The company of adventurers in England would 
not be at the expenfe of conveying thefe and oth* 
ers from Leyden, and yet demanded the pay for 
their former expenfes. Therefore in 1628 their 
ffiends here engaged to do it, when WilJiarn Brad« 

* Prince, 129 — 133. 
t Ibid, page 137—139- 



22 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. L 

ford, Miles Standifh, Ifaac Allerton, Edward Winf- 
low, William Brewfler, John Howland, John Al- 
den, and Thomas Prince, with four friends in Lon- 
don, after having the trade of this colony fecured 
to them, undertook to pay the debts of the colony 
in England, which were eighteen hundred pounds 
flerling, and alfo to bring thofe friends over.* And 
in Auguft 1629, thirty-five families arrived at 
Plymouth, from Leyden, the tranfporting of whom 
coft five hundred and fifty pounds flerling, befides 
fupporting of them above a year more, till they had 
a harvefl: of their own, all which was freely given 
them.f A wonderful inftance of Chriftian gener- 
ofity. 

On January 13, 1630, the Council for New- 
England gave a patent to William Bradford and 
his affociates and afiigns of all that part of New- 
England between CohafiTet rivulet towards the 
north, and Narraganfet river towards the fouth,* 
the weftern ocean towards the eaft, and between a 
ftraight line direclly extendiitg up into the main 
land toward the north from the mouth of Narra- 
ganfet river, to the utmoft bounds of a country in 
New-England, called Pacanokit, alias Swamfet, 
weftward, and another ilraight line extending di- 
rectly from the mouth of Cohaffet river towards 
the weft, fo far into the main land weftward as to 
the utmoft limits of the faid Pacanokit or Swamfet 
extend ; and alfo a tracl of land extending fifteen 
miles wide on each fide of Kennebeck river, &c.|j 
and this continued a diftincl government until 
1692. In 1621, they chofe a governor and one 
afiiftant with him ; in 1624, they chofe five afiift- 
ants ; and in 1633, they chofe a governor and fev- 
en affiftants, and continued that number as long as 
they remained a diftincl government. 

* Hiftorical CoUedlions at Bofton, 1794, p. 61. 
f Prince, p. 168, 192. 
J! Prince, p. 196, 197, 



1630.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 23 

As to the government of the Church, they held 
the power to be in each particular Church, to re- 
ceive and exclude members, and to choofe and or- 
dain officers, though they would act in fellowfliip 
with filler churches. As to officers, they held to 
having paftors, ruling elders and deacons. Their 
ruling elders were to have the gifts of public teach- 
ers, but not to adminiller the ordinances of bap- 
tifm and the holy fupper. Such was Mr. William 
Brewfter, from their firft coming to this land, un- 
til he died in 1644. They alfo held that every 
brother in the church might improve his gifts in 
public teaching, if he had gifts that could edify 
the brethren, to whom they were to be fubjed:. 
Some of their proofs for it were thefe : One apof- 
tie fays, " he that propheiieth, fpeaketh unto men 
to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 
And ye may all prophefy one by one, that all may 
learn,andall maybe comforted." 1 Cor. xiv. 3,31. 
And another fays, " As every man hath received 
the gift, even fo minifter the fame one to another, 
as good ftewards of the manifold grace of God. 
If any man fpeak, let him fpeak as the oracles of 
God ; if any man minifter, let him do it as of the 
ability which God giveth ; that God in all things 
may be glorified through Jefus Chrift." i Peter, 
iv. 10, II.* Though they took much pains, yet 
they never obtained a paftor here, until Mr. Ralph 
Smith came over with the Salem company in 1629, 
and not being wanted there, he came that year to 
Plymouth, and was their paftor about fix years. 



* Robinfon againft Bernard, p. 235, 



24 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IL 



CHAP. II. 

A Church fettled at Salem. — Governor Winthrop comes 
over with their charter. — Church and State united.-^ 
Williams hanijhed. — His great fervice in the Pequot 
war. — A fynod at Cambridge.- — A new court called^ 
who punijhed many whom the fynod had condemned. 



A 



.FTER our fathers at Plymouth, through great 
dangers and diificulties, had prepared the way, ma- 
ny who difliked the corruptions and oppreflions in 
the Church of England made preparations for a 
removal into this country. Mr. John White, a 
minifter at Dorchefter in England, prevailed with 
a number of wealthy men to write over to Roger 
Conant and others, v/ho were fcattered in differ- 
ent places, to repair to Cape Ann, and they would 
fend over money and goods to allift them in plant- 
ing and fifhing ; and they did fo with fuccefs. 
And on March 19, 1628, the Council for the af- 
fairs of New-Encrland fold to a number of men, 
1 • • 
their heirs and afTociates, that part of New-England 

which lies between lines drawn three miles north of 
every part of Merrimack river, and three miles 
fouth of every pare of Charles river and the Maila- 
chufetts bay, and extending weft from the Atlantic 
ocean to the fouth fea. And they fent over Mr. 
John Endicot as governor of faid people, who made 
Salem to be their chief town ; and on March 4, 
1629, king Charles granted the Maffachufetts char- 
ter, including all the lands before defcribed, to be 
holden of him and his heirs and fuccelTors. And 
Mr. Francis Higginfon and Samuel Skelton, with 
two other minifters and above three hundred per- 
fons with them, came over to Salem, and gathered 
a church, and ordained thefe two minifters on Aug. 
63 1629, and alfo a ruling elder \ and they received 



1633.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 25 

the right hand of fellowfhip from the church of 
Plymouth the fame day.* So early did they joia 
with thofe here, whom many had cenfured for fep- 
arating from the church of England in their native 
country. 

And on June 12, 1630, governor Winthrop ar- 
rived at Salem ; and about fifteen hundred people 
came over that year, bringing the MafTachufetts 
charter with them, and the churches of Bofton, 
Dorchefter, and Watertown, were foan formed 
and organized like Salem, as Charleftown alfo was 
in 1632. At firft they received members by a gen- 
eral declaration of their faith, and the difcovery of 
a regular walk ; but they afterwards required of 
each one an account of a change of heart by the 
work of God's Spirit. Mr. John Wilfon was the 
firft paftor of the church of Charleftown and Bof- 
ton, who was ordained, with a ruling elder and 
two deacons, Auguft 27, 1630. Governor Win- 
throp fays, " We uftd impofition of hands, but 
with this proteftation by all, that it was only a fign 
of election and confirmation, not of any intent that 
Mr. Wilfon fhould renounce his miniftry he receiv- 
ed in England."! But he afterwards informs us, 
that when a minifter had refigned his paftoral 
charge of any church, he was then " no minifter,*' 
by the received determination of their churches ; 
and alfo that they did not allow any elders to lay 
on hands in ordinations, but thofe who were of 
the church where the ordination was.|| But in 
1^8 that liberty was granted in their platform. 

The General Court at Bofton, May 18, 163 1, 
made a law that no man fhould hereafter be ad- 
mitted as a freeman, to have a vote in their gov- 
ernment, but a member in fome of their churches. 
On Sept. 4, 1633, arrived a fhip, in which 

* Prince, p. 83, 190, 191. 
f Journal, p. 20. H Page 227, 268. 

D 



26 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch, IL 

came John Cotton, Thomas Hooker, and Samuel 
Stone, minifters, and John Haynes, afterwards gov- 
ernor of the MaiTachufetts, and then of Connecti- 
cut. Mr. Cotton was foon fettled in the miniftry 
at Bofton, where he had as much influence, both 
in the civil and ecclefiaftical affair-s of the country, 
as any one man therein, for near twenty years, till 
he died. But Mr. Hooker could not agree with 
him in fome things of great importance, though he 
did in others. Hooker and Stone fettled firft at 
Cambridge, and then removed with many others 
to Hartford, in 1636, and were leaders in the col- 
ony of Connet^icut, where men were received to 
be freemen who were not members of their 
churches. They alfo held that none had a right 
to bring their children to baptifm but communi- 
cants, while Cotton was for others doing it, if they 
were not fcandalous. And he was for carrying the 
power of councils higher than Hooker would. 

Governor Winthrop gives the following account 
of the manner of their forming churches, and re- 
ceiving members into them, which was foon eftab- 
liflied* It was, that where a church was deiigned 
to be gathered, their chief rulers and minifters muft 
be convened, and thofe who were to be the firft 
members of the church were to tell their experi- 
ences before them, and have their approbation, or 
elfe they were not to proceed. Of this he relates 
the following example. In 1635, the moft- of the 
church in Dorchefter, with their minifter, removed 
up, and planted Windfor, and began the colony of 
Connedicut ; in which year Mr. Richard Mather 
came over and fettled in Dorchefter. And on 
April IT, 1636, many rulers and minifters met 
there for the purpofe of forming a new church ; 
but it was not done, becaufe the moft of thofe who 
intended to be members were thought not meet at 
prefent to be the foundation of a church, becaufe 
they had built their hopes of falvation upon un- 



i^33'l OF NEW-ENGLAND. 27 

found grounds, viz. " Some upon dreams and 
ravifhes of fpirit by fits ; others upon the refor- 
mation of their lives ; others upon duties and 
performances, &c. wherein they difcovered three 
ipecial errors. i. That they had not come 
to hate fin becaufe it is filthy, but only left it be- 
caufe it is hurtful. 2. That by reafon of this they 
had never truly clofed with Chrift, (or rather Chrift 
with them) but had made ufe of him only to help 
the imperfecUon of their fancliiication and duties, 
and not made him their fanclification, wifdom, &c. 
3. They expeded to believe by fome power of their 
own, and not only and wholly from Chrift.'' Thefe, 
are the viev^s that governor Winthrop had of Chrif- 
tian experiences, and of how churches lliould be 
gathered. And fatisfaclion was gained the fall af- 
ter, when a church was gathered there.* 

Perhaps he, and many rulers and teachers 
among them, were as wife and pious men as any 
who ever undertook to eftablifh religion upon 
earth by human laws, enforced by the fword of the 
magiftrate ; and the evils which they ran into 
ought to be imputed to that principle, and not to 
any others which they held that were agreeable to 
the gofpel. But as their perfecutors in England 
were then exerting all their influence to bring thefe 
people again under their power in religious mat- 
ters, they took fuch meafures to defend themfelves 
as , cannot be juftificd ; and as Mr. Roger Wil- 
liams earneftly laboured to prevent thofe meafures, 
and to promote the eftablilhment of full liberty of 
confcience in this country, they bent all their pow- 
er againft him. 

According to his own account, and good infor- 
mation from others, he was born in Wales in 1599, 
and he had the early patronage of the famous Sir 
Edward Coke j was educated at the univerfity of 

* Winthrop, page 98, 105. 



28 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. II. 

Oxford, and was introduced into the miniftry in 
the church of England. But he foon found that he 
could not in confcience conform to many things^ 
in their worfhip ; therefore he came over to this 
country, and arrived at Bofton in February 1631 ; 
and in April he was called to preach at Salem ; but 
as he had refufed to commune with the church at 
Bofton, and objected againft the oaths which they 
took when they came out of England, and the 
force in religious affairs which they exercifed here, 
the court at Bofton wrote to Salem againft him, 
upon which he went to Plymouth, where he 
preached above two years, and was highly efteemed 
by governor Bradford and others. Mr. Prince 
fuppofed that he had taken the oath of a freeman 
at Bofton in May 1631, becaufe a man of his name 
is upon their records in that month ; but this was 
an evident miftake, and I found a Roger "Williams 
upon their records the fall before this minifter came 
to America. As thefe colonies had received the 
grant of American lands from the kings of Eng- 
land, Mr. Williams wrote his thoughts againft it 
while he lived at Plymouth, which fome liked, and 
others did not ; and as Mr. Skelton was fick at Sa- 
lem, Williams was invited there to preach in his 
place, and he obtained a difmiffion in the fum- 
mer of 1633, ^^^ preached there till Skelton 
died, Auguft 2, 1634, after which he was ordained 
in Salem. He had fpoken againft the meeting of 
minifters by themfelves, once a fortnight, fearing 
that it might grow in time to a prefbytery or fu- 
perintendency over the churches;* and greater 
diihculties foon followed. 

Their charter gave them no power to make any 
laws contrary to the laws of England, and they 
had fworn to ad accordingly ; yet when they met 
at Bofton, May 14, 1634, before they eleded their 

* Winthrop, p- 57. 



1634.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 29 

officers, the affembly paffed an act which faid, " It 
was agreed and ordered, that the former oath of 
freemen fliall be revoked, fo far as it is dilTonant 
from the oath of freemen hereunder written, and 
that thofe that received the former oath fhall ftand 
bound no further thereby, to any intent or pur- 
pofe, than this new oath ties them that now take 
the fame. 

The oath of a freeman. 

I A. B. being by God's providence an inhabitant 
and freeman in this Commonweal, do freely ac- 
knowledge myfelf to be fubjed to the government 
thereof, and therefore do here fwear by the great 
and dreadful name of the everliving God, that I 
will be true and faithful to the fame, and will ac- 
cordingly yield affiftance and fupport hereunto 
with my perfon and eftate as in equity I am bound, 
and will alfo truly endeavour to maintain and pre- 
ferve all the liberties and privileges thereof ; fub- 
mitting myfelf to the wholefome laws and orders 
made and eftablifhed by the fame. And further, 
that I will not plot nor praclife any evil againft it, 
nor confent to any that fhall fo do ; but will truly 
difcover and reveal the fame to lawful authority 
now here eftablifhed, for the fpeedy preventing 
thereof. Moreover I do folemnly bind myfelf in 
the fight of God, that when I fhall be called to give 
my voice touching any fuch matters of this ftate 
wherein freemen are to deal, I will give my vote 
and fuffrage as I fhall judge in mine own confcience 
may beft conduce and tend to the public weal of 
the body, without refped of perfons or favour of 
any man \ fo help me God in the Lord Jefus 
Chrift." 

And it appears that they never acled any more 
in the name of the kings of England, until after 
1660. And what a ftretch of arbitrary power 
was this ! Yet men might ftill choofe whether they 
would take this oath ox not, if they would be eon-. 



30 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IL 

tent not to be freemen. But when they met again, 
March 4, i6t^^^ they enaded, "That every man of 
or above the age of lixteen years, who hath been 
or fliall hereafter be refident within this jurifdic- 
tion by the fpace of fix months, (as well fervants 
as others) and not infranchifed, fhall take the oath 
of relidents, before the governor, deputy governor, 
or two of the next afliftants, who fhall have power 
to convent him for that purpofe ; and upon his 
refufal, to bind him over to the next court of af- 
fiflants, and upon his refufal the fecond time to be 
punifhjed at the difcretion of the court. It is or- 
dered that the freeman's oath fhall be given to ev- 
ery man of or above the age of fixteen years, the 
claufe for eledion of magiftrates only excepted." 

Now as this ad was to bind all, Mr. Williams 
openly preached againft it at Salem, for which the 
governor and afliflants convented him before 
them on April 30 ; but he refufed to retradl what 
he had done, and Mr. Cotton fays, " The court was 
forced to defifl from that proceeding."* Indeed 
he calls it the firft of thefe ads, but governor Win- 
throp fhews it to be the fecond.J And becaufe of 
it, they at their meeting in May took away fome 
land from Salem, by an acl which faid, " The land 
betwixt the Clift and the Forefl river, near Mar- 
blehead, fhall for the prefent be improved by John 
Humphrey, Efq. ; and as the inhabitants of Mar- 
blehead fhall fland in need of it, the faid John 
Humphrey fhall part with it, the faid inhabitants al- 
lowing him equal recompence for his labour and 
cofl beflowed thereupon ; provided, that if in the 
mean time the inhabitants of Salem can fatisfy the 
court that they have a true right unto it, that then 
it fhall belong unto the inhabitants thereof." And 
how was that fatisfadion to be given ? Why they 
gave up Mr. W^illiams in the fall after, and when 

# Tenet walhed, part fecond, page 29. J Journal, page 8q, 



i635-] OF NE W.ENGLAND. ^t 

the court met, March 3, 1636, they faid, " It was 
proved this court that Marbleneck belongs to 
Salem.'* 

Thus it (lands upon their records, though Mr. 
Cotton pretends that Salem only petitioned for 
land in May, 1635; inftead of their having fome 
taken from them, until they gave him up. That 
ad of taking land from them, appeared fo evil to 
Mr. Williams and his church, that they wrote let- 
ters of reproof to the churches where thofe rulers 
belonged ; upon which their rulers and minifters 
met in July, and gave Williams notice that he 
fliould be baniftied if he did not give them fatisfac- 
tion ; and Salem church yielded fo much to them, 
that he left preaching to them in Auguft. And 
when the court met in September, governor Win- 
throp fays, " Mr. Endicot made a proteftation in 
juftification of the letters formerly fent from Salem 
to other churches againft the magiftrates and dep- 
uties, for which he was committed, but the fame 
day he came and acknowledged his fault, and was 
difcharged.''* He afterwards a6led at the head 
of their government in hanging the quakers; 
but as Williams remained fledfaft, their records 
fay, 

" Whereas Mr. Roger Williams, one of the el- 
ders of the church of Salem, hath broached and di- 
vulged divers new and dangerous opinions againft 
the authority of magiftrates, as alfo writ letters of 
defamation, both of the magiftrates and churches 
here, and that before any conviclion, and yet 
maintaineth the fame without any retraction ; it is 
therefore ordered, that the faid Mr. Williams fhall 
depart out of this jurifdiclion within fix weeks 
now next enfulng, which if he neglect to perform ^ 
it ihall be ia\Vful for the governor and two magif- 
trates to fend him to fome place out of this jurif- 

* Journal, page 84, 86. 



32 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IL 

didion, not to return any more without leave from 
the court." 

As he did not go, they fent for him to come 
to Bofton in January, 1636, but he fent an excufe 
for not coming ; upon which they fent an officer 
to take him, and to convey him on board a fliip 
bound for England ; but when the officer got to 
Salem, he had been gone three days.* He firll 
went to the place lince called Rehoboih j but gov- 
ernor Winflow wrote to him, that he was then 
within Plymouth colony, but if he would only go 
over the river, he would be out of it, and be as 
free as themfelves. And he readily did fo, and ob- 
tained a grant of lands from the Narraganfet In- 
dians, where he began the firft civil government 
upon earth that gave equal liberty of confcience. 
Though before he obtained it, he fays, " I was 
forely toifed for fourteen weeks, in a bitter winter 
feafon, not knowing what bread or bed did mean.^f 
And from a view of the great things which God 
had done for him, he called the place Providence. 

The nature of true liberty of confcience was 
very little underftood then in the world. And as 
God had brought the people here, out of an Egyp- 
tian bondage, and given them a good land, they 
imagined that they ought to imitate the children 
of Ifraelj in punifhing the wicked, and in eftabliih- 
ing an holy government in this great country. 
And from hence, they who oppofed fuch a great 
and good work, appeared to them exceedingly crim- 
inal. A noted man, who was then adlive among 
them, thought that Chrift called them, not only to 
affift in building up his churches, but alfo in pulling 
down the kingdom of antichrift ; and that he faid 
to them, " You are not fet up for tolerating times, 
nor fliall any of you be content with this, that you 

* Journal, page 92. 

f Hiftorical Society, vol. I. page 276. 



1636.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 33 

are fet at liberty, but take up your arms, and march 
manfully on till all oppofers of Chrift's kingly pow- 
er are abolilhed. Have you not the bleffedeft op- 
portunity put into your hands that ever any peo- 
ple had ? Then fail not in profecution of the work, 
for your Lord hath furnifhed you with able pilots, 
to fteer the helm in a godly, peaceable, civil govern- 
ment alfo ; then fee that you make choice of fuch 
as are found both in profeffion and confeffion, men 
fearing God and hating bribes ; whofe commiflion 
is not limited to the commands of the fecond ta- 
ble, but they are to look to the rules of the firft al- 
fo ; and let them be fure to put on Jofhua's refolu- 
tion and courage, never to make a league with any 
of thefe feven fedlaries. The Gortonifts, who de- 
ny the humanity of Chrift, and moll blafphemouf- 
ly and proudly profefs themfelves to be perfonally 
Chrift. 2. The Papifts, who with almoft equal 
blafphemy and pride prefer their own merits and 
works of fupererogation as equal with Chrift's in- 
valuable death and fufFerings. 3. The Familifts, 
who depend upon rare revelations, and forfake the 
fure revealed word of Chrift. 4. The Seekers, 
who deny the churches and ordinances of Chrift. 
5. Antinomians, who deny the moral law to be 
the rule of Chrift. 6. Anabaptifts, who deny civil 
government to be proved of Chrift. 7. The Pre- 
lacy, who will have their own injundions fubmitted 
unto in the churches of Chrift."* 

Here we may plainly learn the caufe why Mr. 
Williams was treated fo cruelly. But as God over- 
ruled the cruel felling of Jofeph to the heathen, as 
a means of faving the lives of many people ; fo the 
baniftiing of Mr. Williams made him a chief inftru- 
ment of faving all the Englifti in New-England 
from deftru6lion. For he had obtained much 
knowledge of the Indian language, and friendfhip 

* Johnfon, page 7, S. 

E 



34 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IL 

with them, when a war was ready to break out 
with the moil powerful nation in the land. Of 
this a concife view was given, by governor Trum- 
bull and the general court of Connecticut, in 1774, 
in anfwer to a query from England, to know by 
what title they held their lands. Upon it, they 
faid, " The original title to the lands on which the 
colony was lirft fettled, was at the time the Englifli 
came hither, in the Pequot nation of Indians, who 
were numerous and warlike ; their country ex- 
tended from Narraganfet to Hudfon's river, and 
over all Long-Ifland. SaiTacus, their great Saga- 
more, had under him twenty fix fachems : he in- 
jurioufly made war upon the Englifli ; he exercifed 
defpotic dominion over his fubjeCls ; he with all 
his fachems and people were conquered, and made 
tributaries to the Englifli. The war being ended, 
coniiderations and fettlements were made with fuch 
fachems and people as remained, who came in and 
received full contentment and fatisfa6:ion."* 

Some Indians up Connedicut river had been 
fo much opprefled by SaiTacus, that they came 
down to Plymouth and Bofton, fo early as 1631, 
to get forae of the Englifli to go up and fettle 
there.f And they afterwards went up to trade 
there feveral times, before they planted Windfor, 
and began a fort at Saybrook, in 1635, and Hart- 
ford in 1636. But the Pequots killed feveral men, 
from time to time, until they murdered John Old- 
ham, near Block Ifland, becaufe they went to trade 
that way. Mr. Williams began at Providence in the 
fpring of 1636, juft before Oldham was killed, the 
news of which they firfl: received from him at Bof- 
ton, July 26 ; upon which the governor there 
wrote to him to ufe all his influence with the Nar- 
raganfets, to obtain their help againft the Pequots. 
This he did fo expeditioufly, as to return their an- 

* Said anfwer, page 4. f Winthrop, p. 25. 



16^6.'] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 55 

fwer July 30. MeiTengers were then fent to the 
Narraganfets, who returned to Bollon with a fa- 
vourable anfwer on Auguft 13.' An army was 
then fent round by water, to revenge the death of 
Oldham, and to try to bring the Pequots to terms ; 
but they returned without fuccefs.* Upon a 
fight of their danger, the Pequots fent diredly to 
the Narraganfets, with whom they had been at war 
feveral years, and dcfired that they would make 
peace with them, and for all to join together, and 
to drive the Engiiih out of the country ; faying, 
" If you fhould help the Englifh to fubdue us, you 
would thereby make way for your own ruin ; and 
we need not come to open battle with them, but 
only fire their houfes, kill their cattle, and lie in 
wait and flioot them as they go about their bufi- 
nefs, and they will foon be forced to leave the 
country, and the Indians not be expofcd to much 
jhazard/'t 

What policy was here ! and what would the 
Englifli have done, if they had fent Williams out 
of the country as they intended ? But a kind Prov- 
idence prevented it, and he now wrote an account 
of thefe things to Bofton ; upon which they fent 
to him, to do his utmoft for their relief; and he 
fays, " The Lord helped me immediately to put 
my life in my hand, and, fcarce acquainting my 
wife, to fhip myfelf all alone in a poor canoe, and 
to cut through a ftormy wind with great feas, eve« 
ry minute in hazard of life, to the fachem's houfe« 
Three days and nights my buiinefs forced me to 
lodge and mix with the bloody Pequot ambaifa- 
dors, whofe hands and arms methought wreaked 
with the blood of my countrymen, murdered and 
maffacred by them on Connedicut river, and from 
whom I could not but nightly look for their bloody 
knives at niy own throat alfo. But God wonder- 

* Winthrop, p. 103 — 105. 

t Preface to Mafon's Hillory, page 4. 



36 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. II. 

fully preferved me, and helped me to break to pie- 
ces their deiign, and to make, promote and finilh, 
by many travels and charges, the Englifh league 
with the Narraganfets and Mohegans againft the 
Pequots.* He prevailed with Miantenimo, the 
chief fachem of the Narraganfets, to come to Bof- 
ton in Oclober, and to covenant with them to war 
againft the Pequots till they were fubdued ; and 
they fent a copy of it to Mr. Williams, who could 
bell: interpret it to him.f 

Uncas, the fachem of the Mohegans, who lived 
between New-London and Norwich, had revolted 
from the Pequots a little before, and now joined 
againft them ; and the colonies agreed to raife an 
army againft them in the fpring. 

But the Pequots were too early for them, and 
fent an army up the river in April, and killed fev- 
eral, and captivated others ; upon which Connedi- 
cut raifed an army of ninety Englifti, and an hun- 
dred Mohegan Indians, who went down to Say^ 
brook, where captain Underhill joined them with 
nineteen men, upon which twenty of the others 
were fent back, and then the army failed to the 
Narraganfet bay, under the command of captain 
John Mafon of Windfor. After they landed, ma- 
ny of the Narraganfets joined them, and they 
marched over Powcatuck river, and encamped in 
the night ; but the Narraganfets were fo much 
afraid of the Pequots, that they all forfook the 
Englifh, and the Mohegans went behind them. 
Yet captain Mafoii and his men affaulted Miftick 
fort in 3tonington, a little before day, May 26, 
1637, and by fire and fword deftroyed fix or feven 
hundred Pequots, in about an hour, when only 
feven were captivated, and about feven efcaped ; 
while he had but two rnen killed, and twenty 
wounded.:|: Saffacus was at another fort, where 

^Hiftoiical Society, vol. i. p. 277. f Wlnthrop, p. 109, IIQ, 
J Mafon's Hiftory, page I©. 



1636.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. ^^ 

fome of his own men were for killing him, be- 
caufe he had caufed this dreadful w^ar ; but others 
pleaded for him, though they all concluded to flee 
over Connecticut river. After which general 
Stoughton came up with 120 men, and Mafon and 
part of his men joined him, and they purfued the 
Pequots beyond New-Haven, and SaiTacus fled to 
the Mohawks, w^ho cut off his head, and informed 
the Englifh of it. So many Pequots were flain 
or captivated, that the refl: fued for peace, which 
was granted upon condition of their quitting their 
name, and former habitations, and being difperfed 
among the Mohegans and Narraganfets, who lliould 
pay an annual tribute for them, while others were 
fervants to the Englifh. 

All this was accompliflied in about flx months, 
as appears by the journal of governor Winthrop, the 
hiftory of captain Mafon, and other accounts ; and 
Indian fachems came to Bofton in 1638, from all 
the country, as well as from Long-Ifland, to ex- 
prefs their gratitude to the Englifli for this victory, 
as governor Winthrop informs us. And captain 
Mafon fays in his hifliory, that they had but about 
two hundred and fifty men in all Conneclicut, 
when the war began, and they were in the midft 
of thofe enemies. How wonderful then was their 
victory, which opened a wide door for the Englifh 
to fill the country ! Governor Eaton and Mr. 
Davenport, who came over in the time of the war, 
went and planted New-Haven, in 1638, and began 
another colony, who allowed none to be freemen 
but communicants in their churches. About 
three thoufand people came over that year ; and 
it was computed that from 1628 to 16^^43, about 
21200 perfons came over here ;* and very few of 
t:hem had feparated from the church of England 
before they came away. This fully verified what 

^ Johnfon, p. 31. 



3S A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IL 

Mr. Robinfon faid, twenty years before Bofton 
was planted ; and it Ihews how men are influenced 
in religious matters by the government which they 
are unden 

An a6l of juftice now towards the Indians, 
ferved greatly to confirm their friendfliip. For 
four young men ran away from Plymouth, and 
meeting with an Indian near Providence, 'vyith a 
rich pack upon his back, they murdered him for 
it, and then fled to Rhode Ifland. Mr. Williams 
Informed Governor Winthrop of it, who advifed 
him to write to Plymouth about it, which he did, 
and they fent to Rhode Ifland, and caught three 
of them, and hanged them at Plymouth. And 
though fome might think it ftrange, that three 
Englifli Ihould be executed for one Indian, yet 
none can tell how many lives this faved after- 
wards. 

Yet all the great fervices which Mr. Williams 
did for the Maflachufetts, could not prevail with 
them to take off his fentence of banifhment, though 
Governor Winthrop was for it. A fear of their en- 
emies in England had a great hand in this ; for 
on April 28, 1634, King Charles gave a commif'- 
fion to archbifliop Laud, and eleven men more, to 
revoke all the charters which he had given to thefe 
colonies, and to make fuch new conflitutions and 
laws as they thought meet for them ; and alfo to 
difplace their governors and other officers, and to 
appoint others in their room ; to impofe tithes for 
the clergy, and to punifli all thofe who difobeyed 
them, with fines, imprifonment or death. And 
though Governor Winflow was fent over their 
agent, and got this commiffion revoked, yet Laud 
caufed him to be imprifoned in London feventeen 
weeks, for teaching fometimes at Plymouth, and 
for marrying people as a magiflirate, which Laud 
called an invaflon of the minifl:erial office.* And 

^ Hiftorlcal Society, vol, Iv. page 119, J20» 



15370 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 39 

to guard againft fuch tyranny, was of great impor- 
tance. Another reafon was, that they expect- 
ed to obtain fo much power here, as to give a 
wound to antichrift in other countries. For a man 
who was well acquainted with their views, fpeak- 
ing of the man of fin, fays, " Mr. John Cotton, 
among others, hath diligently fearched for the 
Lord's mind herein, and hath declared fome fud- 
den blow to be given to this blood thirfty mon- 
fter ; but the Lord Chrift hath infeparably joined 
the time, means, and manner of this work togeth- 
er."* 

The planting of this country, and the great 
things which God hath done here, has evidently 
given much light to Europe, and weakened the 
power of antichrift there 5 but the ufe of force in 
religious affairs, has been fo far from weakening 
that enemy, that his main ftrength lies therein. 
But the MafTachufetts ftill went on in that way, 
and on March 3, 1636, they faid, " This court doth 
not nor will hereafter approve of any fuch compa- 
nies of men, as fhall henceforth join in any way of 
church fellowfhip, without they flialJ firft acquaint 
the magiftrates, and the elders of the greater part 
of the churches of this jurifdiclion, and have their 
approbation herein. And further it is ordered, 
that no perfon, being a member of any church 
which fliall hereafter be gathered without the ap- 
probation of the magiftrates and the greater part 
of the faid churches, Ihall be admitted to the free- 
dom of this commonwealth.'' And when they met 
at Bofton, May 25, 1636, Henry Vane, Efq. was 
chofen governor, and John Winthrop, deputy gov- 
ernor ; and he and Dudley were elecled to be a 
ftanding council for life, and the governor for the 
time being was to be their prefident. Endicot was 
alfo chofen a counfellor for life the next year^ 

* Johnfon, page 2 30-, 



40 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IL 

for which their charter gave no right, and no oth- 
ers were ever elected fo among them. Five rulers 
and three minifters were alfo now appointed, " To 
make a draught of laws which may be the funda- 
mentals of this commonwealth, and to prefent the 
fame to the next General Court ; and it is order- 
ed that in the mean time the magiflrates and their 
aflbciates {hall proceed in the courts, to hear and 
determine all caufes accordins: to the laws now ef- 
tabliftied ; and where there is no law, then as near 
the laws of God as they can." 

So that when their laws were made, their judges 
were to act thereby in religious affairs, inftead of 
the laws of God. But what followed among them 
may be a warning to all after ages, againft con- 
founding church and ftate together in their gov- 
ernment. For difputes and divifions about grace 
and works, between their chief rulers and minif- 
ters, came on in Bofton, and fpread through all 
the country to a great degree. A fail was appoint «. 
ed on account of it, on January 19, 1637 ; but Mr. 
Wheelwright then preached a fermon which in- 
creafed their difficulties, for which he was called 
before their General Court, March 9, who difmiff- 
ed him for the prefent ; and when they met May 
17, after a fharp contention, Mr. Winthrop was 
ascain chofen Governor, and Mr. Vane was left out 
of office, and the cafe of Wheelwright was again 
deferred. A fynod of minifters from all the 
colonies met at Cambridge, Auguft 30, and fat 
three weeks, and drew up a lift of eighty errors 
which they faid were held in the country ; and 
then the General Court met September 26, and 
again difmiffed Mr. Wheelwright, and diffolved 
the houfe of deputies, and called another for No- 
vember 2, 1637. Such an inftance as never was 
here before or ftnce, of elecling the houfe of depu- 
ties twice in one fall. The houfe they diffolved 



15370 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 41 

had 26 deputies, and the new one 31, only eleven 
of whom were in that which was diffolved. 

And now they had a majority to punifh thofe 
whom the fynod had condemned 5 and they went 
on to banifh John Wheelwright, William Afpin- 
wall, Ann Hutchinfon, and others, and to difarm 
76 men, 58 of whom were of Bofton. Of thefe 
Mr. Wheelwright and fome others went and plant- 
ed Exeter in New-Hamplhire, and were difmifl'ed 
and recommended to form a church there, from 
the church in Bofton ;* though Mr. Williams 
was excommunicated by the church in Salem, af- 
ter he had been baniflied by the Court, for things 
that Governor Winthrop judged to be lefs danger- 
ous than the other was guilty of.f Wheelwright 
was banifhed for what they judged to be fedition 
and contempt of their government, and Williams 
for denying that they had any right to make laws, 
and enforce them with the fword in religious af- 
fairs. Wheelwright afterwards made a flight con- 
feffion to them, and was reftored to favour, but 
Williams never, retracted his opinion about liberty 
of confcience, therefore they never would reftore 
him. And how many have there been ever lince, 
who have been more earneft for the ufe of force 
in religious affairs, than for the peace and good 
order of civil government ! but wife men learn 
much by the miftakes of others. Mr. John Haynes 
was Governor of the Maffachufetts in 1635, and 
pronounced the fentence of banifliment on Wil- 
liams ; but he removed to Hartford in the fpring 
of 1637, where he afterward faid to Williams, " 1 
think I muft confefs to you, that the moft wife 
God hath^rovided and cut out this part of his 
world, for a receptacle and refuge for all forts of 
confciences. I am now under a cloud, and my 

* Belknap's NeV-Hampfliire, vol. i. page 37. 
f Hutchinfon's Colledior.s, page 71. 

F 



42 A CHURCH HISTORY [CH.lt 

brother Hooker, with the Bay, as you have been ; 
we have removed from them thus far, and yet 
they are not fatisfied."* This confirms what was 
before faid of the difference between the MalTachu- 
fetts and Connedlicut governments. 

In September, 1638, the Maifachufetts made a 
law to compel all the inhabitants in each town to 
pay an equal proportion towards the fupport of re- 
ligious miniftefs, though none had a vote in choof- 
ing them but commtmicants in their churches. 
And they then made another law, which faid, 
" That whofoever fhall ftand excommunicated for 
the fpace of fix months, without labouring what in 
him or her lieth to be refl;ored, fuch perfon fliall be 
prefented to the court of afiifi:ants, and there pro- 
ceeded with by fine, imprifonment, banifhment, or 
farther for the good behaviour, as their contempt 
and obfi:inacy upon full hearing fhall deferve.'* 
But this ad: was fo high and glaring that it was re- 
pealed the next year. In the mean time, as adult- 
ery was a capital crime by the law of Mofes, a law 
to punifli it with death was made at Bofton, in 
1631, and three perfons were baniihed for it in 
1638, and a man and a woman were hanged for it 
in 1644. 



* Hiftorical Society, vol. i p. 2 80e 



1638.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 43 



CHAP. III. 

Rhode IJland planted. — Their Jirjl government. — Prov- 
idence upon another plan, — The Baptijl church there, 
— Their feniimoits fpread. — Account of Knollys^ — 
A law againji the Baptijis, — And writings alfo, — 
Men in England againji them, — The cafe of Gorton 
end his company, — Indians againji thetn,' — They are 
jbanijhed^ but obtain relief from England. --^Williatns 
obtains a charter : and writes againji perfecution, 
and Cotton againji him. — Owen for him. — Thefe coU 
onies for feveriiy ; but Robinfonfor liberty, 

VV HEN fuch cruelty was exercifed at Bofton, 
Mr. John Clarke, his brother Jofeph, and many- 
others concluded to reniove away ; and when they 
came to Providence, Mr. Vf iiliams advifed them to 
go to the Ifland of Aquidnet ; and he went with 
them to Plymouth, to inquire whether they claim- 
ed it or not ; and finding that they did not, many 
went there, and figned a covenant on March 7, 
1638, in which they faid, "We whofe names are 
f underwritten, do here folemnly, in the 
Exodus, j prefence of Jehovah, incorporate our- 
xxxiv. 3, felves into a body politic, and as he 
{hall help, will fubmit our perfons, 
^ p, I lives and eftates, unto our Lord Jefus 

^ Y,- n ' I Chrift, the King of kings, and Lord of 
lords, and to all thofe perfed: and moll 
abfolute Jaws of his, given us in his ho- 
ly word of truth, to be guided and 

judged thereby. William Codding- 

ton, John Clarke, Wiliiam Hutchinfon, John 
Coggihall, lVillia?n Afpinwall^ Thomas Savage^ Wil« 
liam Dyre, William Freeborne, Philip Sherman, 
John Walker, Richard Carder, William Baulftone, 
Edward Hutchinfon^ Edward Hutchinfon, junior^ Sam- 
uel Wilbore, John Sanford, John Porter, Henry 
Bull/' 



xi. 3, 

2 Kings, 
xi. 17. 



44 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. HI. 

This I copied from their records. Thofe whofe 
names are in Italic afterwards went back, and were 
reconciled to the Maffachufetts ; and moft of the 
others were of note on the Ifland, which they called 
Rhode Ifland. Their covenant to be governed by 
the perfect laws of Chrift as a body politic, feemed 
to be preferable to the fcheme of the Maffachufetts ; 
yet as they could not find laws to govern fuch a 
body in the New Teftament, they went back to the 
laws of Mofes, and eleded a judge and three elders, 
to rule them. And an affembly of their freemen, 
on January 2, 1639, faid, " That the judge, togeth* 
er with the elders, fhall rule and govern according 
to the general rules of the word of God, when they 
have no particular rule from God's word, by the 
body prefcribed as a diredion unto them In the 
cafe.'' But on March 1 2, 1640, they changed their 
plan of government, and elected a governor, depu- 
ty governor, and four affiftants ; and they went on 
till they disfranchifed four men, and fufpended 
others from voting in their elections ; afterwards 
Mr. Williams went over to England, and obtained 
a charter which included them in his government. 

He had procured a deed of Rhode Ifland for 
them, from the Narraganfet fachems, on March 24, 
1638 ; and another to himfelf of Providence, the 
fame day. He and a few friends had been there for 
two years before ; and when he had obtained a 
deed of the town, he gave a deed to Stukely 
Weftcoat, William Arnold, Thomas James, Rob- 
ert Cole, John Green, John Throckmorton, Wil- 
liam Harris, William Carpenter, Thomas Olney, 
J'rancis Weftern, Richard Waterman, Ezekiel Hoi- 
iman, and fuch others as the major part of them 
fliould admit into fellowfliip and vote with thenio 

To thefe he gave a right in the town freely ; but 
they who were received afterwards, were to pay 
him thirty fliillings a piece. And they were Chad 
grown, William Field, Thomas Harris, Wifliani 



1639.3 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 45 

Wickenden, Robert Williams, Richard Scott, Wil- 
liam Renolds, John Field, John Warner, Thomas 
Angell, Benedi61: Arnold, Jofhua Winfor, Thomas 
Hopkins, Francis Weeks, &c. They all figned a 
covenant, which faid, 

" We whofe names are underwritten, being de* 
firous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do 
promife to fubmit ourfelves in adive or pailive 
obedience to all fuch orders or agreements as fhall 
be made for public good of the body in an orderly 
way, by the major confent of the prefent inhabit- 
ants, matters of families, incorporated together in- 
to a townfliip, and fuch others whom they Ihall ad-, 
mit unto the fame, only in civil things*^' And I 
found a record afterward, which faid, " It was 
agreed that Jofhua Verin, upon breach of covenant, 
or reftraining liberty of confcience, Ihall be with- 
held from liberty of voting till he fhall declare the 
contrary." He reftrained his wife from going to 
meeting as often as ftie defired ; and upon this act 
againft him he removed away, as their records 
ihew. 

And the men who were for fuch liberty, foon 
formed the firft Baptift church in America. Mr. 
Williams had been accufed before of embracing 
principles which tended to anabaptifm ; and in 
March, 1639, he was baptized by one of his breth- 
ren, and then he baptized about ten more. But in 
July following, fuch fcruples were raifed in his 
mind about it, that he refrained from fuch admin« 
iftrations among them.* Mr. Williams difcovers 
in his writings, that as facrifices and other ads of 
worfhip were omitted by the people of God, while 
his temple lay in ruins ; and that they were reftor- 
ed again by immediate direction from Heaven, fa 
that fome fuch diredion was necelTary to reftore 
the ordinances of baptifm and the fupper, fince the 
defolation of the church in myftical Babylon. t 

* Wintrop, p. 174, 183. t ]^eply to Cotton,p. 107. 



46 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IIL 

But thefe cafes are far from being parallel ; for the 
altar of God in one place, in the land of Canaan, 
was the only place where acceptable facrifices could 
then be offered ; while the Chriftian church is not 
confined to any place, but Chrift is with his faints 
wherever they meet in his name ; and he fays to 
his minifters, Go ye and teach all nations, baptiz- 
ing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghoft ; teaching them to 
obferve all things whatfoever I have commanded 
you : and lo, I am with you always, even unto the 
end of the world, Amen. Mat. xviii. 20. xxviii. 
19, 20. And thefe promifes belong only to the 
children of God, in the way of obferving all his 
commandments, let them be ordained by whom 
they may. As the priefts who could not find a 
regifier of their lawful defcent from Aaron were 
put from the prieflhosd ; fo thofe who are born 
again are the ovAy priefthood whom Chrift owns un^. 
der the gofpel. E?ra ii. 62. i Peter i. 23. xi. 9. 

After Mr. Williams left that church in Provi- 
dence, they chofe Mr. Thomas Olney for their 
pallor, and he ferved them in that office until he 
died, in 1682 ; and through many trials and chan^ 
ges they have continued ever fince, and are now a 
flourifhing church. Others had much labour about 
baptifm in thefe times. Mr. Charles Chauncy 
preached at Plymouth above two years, and they 
would fain have fettled him with Mr. Reyner, 
their other minifter ; but he believed that gofpel 
baptifm was dipping, and that fprinkling for bap- 
iiim was not laivfid^ as their records Ihew. He 
therefore went to Scituate, where he pradlifed the 
dipping of infants.* He was afterwards prefident 
of the college at Cambridge. Governor Win^ 
throp alfo fays, " The lady Moody, a wife and an-f 
^iently religious woman, being taken with the tv^ 

f Winthrop, p. 200, 251. 



1641O OF NEW-ENGLAND. 47 

ror of denying baptifm to infants, was dealt with 
by many of the elders and others, and admoniflied 
by the church of Salem, whereof ftie was a mem- 
ber ; but periifling ftill, and to avoid further trou- 
ble, ihe removed to the Dutch againft the advice of 
all her friends. Many others infecled with ana- 
baptifm, removed thither alfo." They went to 
the weft part of Long Ifland, where Mr. Williams 
went in 1643, and made peace between the Indians 
and the Dutch, and then failed for England.* 

Mr. Hanferd Knollys was a minifter in the 
church of England for nine years, and then he was 
fo cruelly perfecuted therein, that he came over to 
Bofton in the fpring of 1638 ; but their rulers call- 
ed him an Antinomian, and would not fuffer him 
there ; therefore he went to Dover on Pifcataqua 
river, where he preached near four years, and then 
returned to England, and arrived in London in 
December, 1641. As the war broke out there 
the next year, liberty for various opinions was 
caufed thereby, and he became a Baptift, and gath- 
ered a church in London, where he often had a 
thoufand hearers. He baptized Mr. Henry Jeffy, 
an eminent minifter in that city, and was one who 
iigned the Baptift confeffion of faith in i ^43, which 
was as clear in the dodrines of the gofpel, as was 
that of the divines at Weftminfter ; a copy of 
which Mr. Crofby has given at the end of the firft 
volume of his hiftory. He alfo informs us that 
Mr. Knollys continued a faithful paftor of his 
church in London, through great changes and fuf- 
ferings, until he died in peace, September 19, 1691, 
aged 93 years. And though many things were 
publilhed againft him here, yet Dr. Mather fays, 
'' He had a refpedful character in the churches of 
this wildernefs.''t And Mr. John Clarke was a 
preacher of the gofpel at Newport, until he form- 

* Winthrop, p. 273, 298^ 299. f Magnalla, Book ili. p. 7. 



4^ A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IIL 

ed a Baptift church there in 1644, which has conr 
tinued by fucceffion ever iince. But the Malfachu- 
fetts were fo much afraid of the fpread of their 
principles, that they made a law in November that 
year, which faid, 

" Forafmuch as experience hath plentifully and 
often proved, that Iince the firft riling of the Ana- 
baptifts, about 100 years fince, they have been the 
incendiaries of the commonwealths, and the infec- 
tors of perfons in main matters of religion, and the 
troublers of churches in all places where they have 
been, and that they who have held the baptizing of 
infants unlawful, have ufually held other errors or 
hereiies together therewith, though they have (as 
other heretics ufe to do) concealed the fame till they 
fpied out a fit advantage and opportunity to vent 
them, by way of queftion or fcruple ; and whereas 
divers of this kind have, iince our coming to New- 
England, appeared amongft ourfelves, fome whereof 
(as others before them) denied the ordinance of 
magiftracy, and the lawfulnefs of making war, 
and others the lawfulnefs of magiftrates, and their 
infpeciion into the breach of the firft table ; which 
opinions, if they fhould be connived at by us, are 
like to be increafed amongft us, and fo muft necef- 
farily bring guilt upon us, infection and trouble to 
the churches, and hazard to the whole common- 
wealth ; it is ordered and agreed, that if any per- 
fon or perfons, within this jurifdidion, fhall either 
openly condemn or oppofe the baptizing of infants, 
or go about fecretly to feduce others from the ap- 
probation or ufe thereof, or fliall purpofely depart 
the congregation at the miniftration of the ordi- 
nance, or fiiall deny the ordinance of magiftracy, 
or their lawful right and authority to make war, 
or to punifti the outward breaches of the firft table, 
and ftiall appear to the court wilfully and obftinate- 
ly to continue therein, after due time and means of 
conviction, every fuch perfon or perfons Ihall be 
fentenced to baniftiment.** 



15430 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 49 

Thus denying infant baptifm was made a caufe of 
banifliment, by men who knew that many who did 
fo, did not hold the errors mentioned in this law. 
And Mr. Cotton faid in thofe times, " they do not 
deny magiftrates, nor predeftination, nor original 
fin, nor maintain free-will in converfion, nor apof- 
tacy from grace ; buc only deny the lawful ufe of 
the baptifm of children, becaufe it wanteth a word 
of commandment and example, from the Scripture* 
And I am bound in chrillian love to believe, that 
they who yield fo far, do it out of confcience, as 
following the example of the apoflle, who profef- 
fed of himfelf and his followers, We can do noth- 
ing againft the truth, but for the truth. But yet 
I believe withal, that it is not out of love to the 
truth that Satan yieldeth fo much, but rather out 
of another ground, and for a worfe end. He know- 
cth that now, by the good hand of God, they are 
fet upon purity and reformation ; and now to plead 
againft the baptifm of children upon any of thofe 
Arminian and Popifli grounds, as thofe above nam- 
ed, Satan knoweth they would be rejected. He 
now pleadeth no other arguments in thefe times of 
reformation, than may be urged from a main prin- 
ciple of reformation, to wit. That no duty of God's 
worihip, nor any ordinance of religion, is to be ad- 
miniftered in his church, but fuch as hath a juft 
warrant from the word of God And by urging 
this argument againft the baptifm of children, Satan 
transformeth himfelf into an angel of light/'* 

Here we may fee that Mr. Cotton knew the 
Baptifts among them were not fuch as are defcrib- 
ed in the above law ; though his charity about 
them was, that they were deceived by the devil, in 
pleading plain Scripture againft infant baptifm, 
which hath no precept nor example for it in the 

* Cotton on baptifm, 1647, p. 3. 

G 



so A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IIL 

word of God. And another minifler near him, in 
writing then againft the Baptifts, ranks them with 
our firft mother Eve, and fays, " Hatb God /aid it? 
was the old ferpentine infmuation to bhnd and 
beguile, and to corrupt firft the judgment in point 
of warrant of this or that practice."* As if a calUng 
in queflion a cuftom of men, which is not named 
in the word of God, was as criminal and dangerous 
as a difputing the authority and truth of his ex- 
prefs command. Of this every one muft judge for ^ 
himfelf. The Prefbyterian affembly of divines at ^ 
Weftminfter now denied liberty to their Congre- ■ 
gational brethren in England, to have gathered 
churches there, diftind from their parifh churches ; 
and faid to them, " This liberty was denied by the 
churches of New-England, and we have as juft 
ground to deny it as they : this deiired forbearance 
is a perpetual drawing away from churches under 
the rule ; for upon the fame pretence, thofe who 
fcruple infant baptifm may withdraw from their 
churches, and fo feparate into another congrega- 
tion ; and fo in that, fome pradice may be fcrupled, 
and they feparate again. "t Such is the effed: of 
the ufe of force in religious affairs. And it now 
caufed much trouble to the MafTachufetts, from 
men who were really very corrupt in dodrines. 

Samuel Gorton had confiderable knowledge of 
the Hebrew and Greek languages, which he made 
ufe of to corrupt the word of God. He held the 
coming and fufferings of Chrifl to be within his 
children, and that he was as much in this world at 
one time as another; or that all which we read 
about him is to be taken in a myflical fenfe, which 
he called fpiritual fenfe. h nd of the vifible church, 
he fays, " Pharifaical interpreters, who ere6t 
churches as true churches of God, that admit of 

* Cobbet on baptifm, p. 8. 

f Crofby, vol. i. page i86, 187, 



1 643-] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 51 

decay, and falling.from God in whole, or any part 
thereof, are they who have deceived and undone 
the world from the foundation thereof unto this 
day, and are the proper witches of the worldj 
which the Scripture intends/* Again he fays, 
" They can ilrain out the gnat of dipping into, or 
fprinkling with water in the entrance into their 
church." And he fays, " Antichriil is not to be 
confined to any one particular man or devil, but 
every one of that fpirit is the original and proper 
inlet of fin, and inundation of God's wrath into 
the world, i John ii. 18, 22. Neither is the difpo- 
fition, office and authority of the Son of God, con- 
fined and limited to one man ; but every one that 
is of that fpirit, hath that royal prerogative or 
fet in him to be the Son of God, even fo many as 
believe in that name*" John i. 12.* 

And his pra6lice was no better than his princi- 
pies. For he came over to Boilon in 1636, where 
he caufed confiderable trouble, and then did the like 
at Plymouth, from whence he went to Newport, 
and behaved fo there, that th^y inflided corpo- 
real punifhment upon him. He then went and 
bought fome land near Pawtuxet river, in the fouth 
part of Providence, in January 1641 ; but fuch 
contention foon arofe among neighbours there, 
about earthly things, that they came armed into 
the field to fight ; but Mr. Williams interpofed and 
pacified them for the prefent, and then wrote to 
Bofl:on for advice and help. This was not granted 
from thence, unlefs they would come under the 
MafTachufetts government. And as difficulties con- 
tinued great in that place, four men went from 
Pawtuxet to Bofi:on, in September 1642, and fub- 
mitted themfelves and their lands under that go\« 
ernment ; and then their rulers wrote to Gorton 
and others to come to Boilon, and anfwer to the 

* Antidote againll Pharifaical teachers, page 42, 60, 6i. 



52 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IIL 

complaints of thefe men. But they were fo far 
from going, that they wrote a long letter, contain- 
ing a myftical paraphrafe upon their writing, and 
many provoking fentences again ft faid rulers, and 
their religious principles and conduft, and a refufal 
to go, dated November 20, 1642, figned by twelve 
men. And to get out of their reach, thefe men went 
over the river, and bought the lands at Shawomet, 
of the Indians, and received a deed of it, Jan- 
uary 12, 1643, figned by Miantanimo and Pumham. 

In May following the General Court at Bofton 
fent men into thofe parts ; and finding that Gor- 
ton and his company were gone out of what they 
called their jurifdiction, they got Pumham and So- 
cononco, two Indian fachems, to come to Bofton in 
June, and to fubmit themfelves and their lands un- 
to their government ; and then to enter a com- 
plaint againft Gorton and his company, that they 
had taken away their lands, by the influence of 
Miantanimo, who forced Pumham to fign the 
deed, as they faid, though he would not receive 
any of the pay for it. Upon which the Governor 
and one Affiftant wrote to Gorton and his compa- 
ny to come to Bofton, and anfwer to thefe com- 
plaints ; and they fent to Miantanimo alfo to come 
to Bofton for the fame end. But Gorton and his 
company fent a long and provoking letter, and re- 
fufed to go. Miantanimo went down and juftified 
his fale of thofe lands, and faid thofe fachems were 
his fubjeds, or rulers under him. And it appears 
by many writings, that he was a man of the great* 
eft powers of mind, and of the greateft influence 
among the Indians of almoft any one in the land, 
which caufed the Englifli to be greatly afraid of 
him. 

After much confultation, commifiloners from 
New-Haven, Connecticut, Plymouth and the 
Maflachufetts, met at Bofton in September, and 
figned articles of confederation, for mutual affiftance 



1643.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 53 

and defence ; that two commiflioners from each col- 
ony fhould meet once a year, or oftener if neceffa- 
ry, to order the general affairs of all, while the in- 
ternal government of each fhould be as before. 
And the Maffachufetts declared that Shawomet 
was within Plymouth colony, and called upon them 
to relieve the Indians there, whom they laid Gor- 
ton's company had oppreifed ; but rather than at- 
tempt it, they gave up all the right they had there 
to the Maffachufetts, and the other commiflioners 
affented to it. 

The Maffachufetts then put their government in- 
to a pofture of war, and fent three officers, and for- 
ty armed foldiers to Shawomet, and brought Gor- 
ton and a number of his company to Bofton by 
force. They alio brought away about eighty head 
of their cattle, to pay the cofl of this expedition. 
And when they had got thefe men there, they left 
the affair about lands, and tried them for their 
lives, upon a charge of herefy and blafphemy ; but 
a fmall majority faved their lives for that time ; 
and they enatled that Samuel Gorton, John Weeks, 
Randal Holden, Robert Potter, Richard Carder, 
Francis Wefton, and John Warner, fhould be con- 
fined in feven of their chief towns, during the 
pleafure of the court, to work for their living, and 
not to publifli their errors nor to fpeak againft the 
government, each upon pain of death. Some 
others had fmaller punilhments. 

In the mean time war had broken out between 
the Narraganfets and the Mohegans, in which 
Uncas prevailed, and took Miantanimo prifoner, 
and carried him to Hartford, and left him in the 
hands of the Englifh, at his own requeft ; and when 
the commiffioners met at Bofton in September, 
they debated about what they ftiould do with him ; 
and though they could not fee any right they had 
to put him to death, yet they feared that if he was 
fet at liberty it would be very dangerous to them* 



54 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IIL 

felves, and therefore they delivered him to Uncas, 
for him to execute him without torture, which he 
did.* Thus one .evil leads on to others, like the 
breaking forth of waters. 

For the confinement of Gorton and his compa- 
ny did no good to them, and it caufed uneafinefs 
to many of their own people ; and therefore when 
the General Court met at Bofton, March 7, 1644, 
they pafled an ad, which faid, "It is ordered that 
Samuel Gorton and the reft of that company, who 
ftand confined, fhall be fet at liberty; provided 
that if they or any of them fhall, after fourteen 
days after fuch enlargement, come within any part 
of our jurifdidion, either in the Maffachufetts, or 
in or near Providence, or any of the lands of Pum- 
ham and Socononco, or elfewhere within our jurif^ 
diclion, then fuch perfon or perfons fhall be appre- 
hended, wherefoever they may be taken, and fhall 
fuffer death by courfe of law ; provided alfo, that 
during all their continuance in our bounds inhab- 
iting for the faid time of fourteen days, they fhall 
be ftill bound to the reft of the articles of their for- 
mer confinement, upon the penalty therein ex- 
preiTed.'^ 

Thus it ftands upon their records. And one ©f 
the officers who brought them to Bofton, fays, 
" To be fure there be them in New-England, that 
have Chrift Jefus and his bleffed ordinances in fuch 
efteem, that, the Lord affifting, they had rather lofe 
their lives, than fuffer them to be thus blafphemed, 
if they can help it. And whereas fome have favour- 
ed them, and endeavoured to bring under blame 
fuch as have been zealous againft their abominable 
doctrines ; the good God be favourable unto them, 
and prevent them from coming under the like 
blame with Ahab. Yet they remain in their old 
way ; and there is fomewhat to be confidered in it, 

* WInthrop, page 262, 295, 303, 305, 306. 



1644.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 55 

to be fure, that in thefe days, when all look for the 
fall of antichriil, fuch deteftable doctrines Ihould be 
upheld, and perfons fufFered, who exceed the beaft 
himfelf for blafphemy ; and this to be done by thofe 
that would be counted reformers, and fuch as feek 
the utter fubverfion of antichrift.'** 

Thishiftory was finiflied in 1652 ; and it difcov- 
ers the iincerity of the adors in thofe meafures, 
which now appear very ftrange. And if any men 
had a right to ufe force with others about religious 
affairs, perhaps thefe were as pious men as ever did 
fo, as I obferved before. But nothing ferves more 
to prejudice linful men againft the truth, than inju- 
rious treatment from thofe who teach it ; which Gor- 
ton and his company have evidenced even to this 
day. For when they were releafed, they went to 
Rhode-Illand, and from thence over to the Narra- 
ganfets, where they procured a deed from the In- 
dians of all their people and lands, which they re- 
figned over to the king of England, and appointed 
Gorton and others as their agents, to carry the 
fame to him, dated April 19, 1644. And they 
went over to England with it, and there publifhed 
an account of their fufferings at Bofton ; and 
though the king could not help them, yet they ob- 
tained an order from the Parliament to the Maffa- 
chufetts, to allow them to enjoy the lands which 
they had purchafed, and to remove any obftruc- 
tions that they had put in the way of it. And as 
the earl of Warwick was their great friend in this 
affair, they called their town Warwick. And Gor- 
ton taught his dodrines there for many years ; and 
the effects of them, and of the perfecutions which 
thefe men fuffered, with the general nature of lin, 
have caufed a large part of their poflerity to neg- 
lect all religion to this day ; others of them have 
become profelTors of religion, but not in the Con- 
gregational way. 

* Johnfon's HiH. page 187. 



\ 



S6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. III. 

When Mr. Williams faw how things went here, 
and that fome light opened in England, he went 
there in» the fpring of 1643, ^"^ publifhed a Key 
to the language and cuftoms of the Indians in our 
country ; which the Hiftorical Society at Bofton 
reprinted in 1794. And as Sir Henry Vane, who 
was Governor at Bofton in the time of the Pequot 
war, was now a member of Parliament, and had a 
great regard for Mr. Williams, he ufed his great 
influence in procuring a charter for him, " Border- 
ing northward and northeaft on the patent of the 
Maffachufetts, eaft and foutheaft on Plymouth pa- 
tent, fouth on the ocean, and on the weft and 
iiorthweft by the Indians called Narraganfets ; the 
whole tracl extending about twenty five miles, un- 
to the Pequot river and country ; to be known by 
the name of " the incorporation of Providence 
plantations in the Narraganfet bay, in New-Eng- 
land." It gave them power to form their own 
government, elect all their officers, and to make all 
their laws, as near the laws of England as they 
could. This charter was dated March 14, 1644, 
and was figned by Robert Warwick, Philip Pem- 
broke, Say and Seal, Philip Wharton, Arthur Hafle- 
rig, Cornelius Holland, Henry Vane, Samuel Vaf- 
fel, John Rolle, Miles Corbet and William Spur- 
ftow. 

With this they fent a letter to the rulers and 
other friends in the Maffachufetts, faying, " Taking 
notice, fome of us of long time, of Mr. Roger Wil- 
liams his good affedions and confcience, and of his 
fufferings by our common enemies and opprefTors 
of God's people the prelates ; as alfo of his great 
induftry and travel in his printed Indian labours in 
your parts, the like whereof we have not feen ex- 
tant from any part of America, and in which re- 
fped it hath pleafed both houfes of Parliament free- 
ly to grant unto him and friends with him a free 
and abfoiute charter of civil government for thefe 



1644.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 57 

parts of his abode ; and withal forrowfully refent- 
ing, that amongft good men, our friends, driven to 
the ends of the earth, exercifed with the trials of a 
wildernefs, and who mutually give good teftimony 
each of other, as we obferve you do of him, and he 
abundantly of you ; there fhould be fuch a dif- 
tance. We thcTUght it fit upon divers confidera- 
tions, to profefs our great defires of both your ut- 
moft endeavours of nearer cloflng, and of ready 
exprefling of thefe good affections, which we per- 
ceive you bear each to other, in the actual perform- 
ance of all friendly oiSces ; the rather becaufe of 
thofe bad neighbours you are like to find too near 
you In Virginia, and the unfriendly vifits from the 
weft of England and from Ireland;* that howfo- 
cver it may plelfe the Moft High to fhake our foun- 
dations, yet the report of your peaceable and prof- 
perous plantations may be fome refreftiing to your 
true and faithful friends."t 

Mr. Williams arrived at Bofton with this letter, 
in September 1 644, and they let him pafs on to 
Providence ; but they never took off his fentence 
of banifhment, nor ever allowed of the validity of 
the charter of his own civil government until 
1656. And we are now to fee the caufe of it more 
fully. For Mr. Williams publiftied a book in Lon- 
don that year, which opened the evil of their con- 
duel, beyond any thing he had done before. The 
title of it is, " The bloody tenet of perfecution for 
the caufe of confcience.*^ It appeared to Mr. Cot- 
ton to be of fo dangerous tendency to them, that 
he publifhed an anfwer to it in 1647, which he cal- 
led, " the bloody tenet waflied, and made white in 
the blood of the Lamb." But Williams replied to 
it in 1652, and called it, " The bloody tenet yet 

* Places that were then in the king's party, but were foon 
after brought under the parliament. 

f Winthrop, p. 356. 

H 



58 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. III. 

more bloody, by Mr. Cotton's endeavour to wafh 
it white." And I will give a few extrads from 
thefe writings. 

A prifoner in London wrote fome reafons a- 
gainft perfecution, which one Hall of Roxbury ob- 
tained, and fent it to Mr. Cotton, and he wrote an 
anfwer to it. But as Mr. Hall was not fatisfied 
therewith, he fent it to Mr. Williams, who now 
publifhed the whole controverfy. The prifoner 
firft brought the cafe which Chrift has ftated, of 
the children of his kingdom, and the children of 
the devil, appearing by their fruits in the field of 
the world, when he faid, " Let both grow together 
until the harveft." Mat. xiii. 30, 38. And the 
prifoner faid, " the reafon feems to be, becaufe 
they who are tares ^ may hereafter become wheat ; 
they who are blind, may hereafter fee ; they who 
relift him, may hereafter receive him ; they who 
are now in the devil's fnare, and averfe to the 
truth, may hereafter come to repentance ; they 
who are now blafphemers and perfecutors, as Paul 
was, may in time become faithful as he did ; they 
who are now idolaters, as the Corinthians once 
were, may hereafter become true worlhippers, as 
they did ; i Cor. vi. 9 ; they who are no people of 
God, nor under mercy^ may hereafter become his 
people, and obtain mercy, i Peter ii. 10."* 

Now, though thefe things are very plain, yet 
Mr. Cotton went on for more than forty pages, be- 
fore he came to the cafe in hand, which the prifo- 
ner faid in few words, *•' Tares are antichriftians 
or falfe chri{lians."f And when Mr. Cotton came 
to this, he faid, " It is not the will of Chrift that 
antichrift, and antichriftianity fhould be tolerated 
in the world, until the end of the world. For God 
will put it into the hearts of faithful princes (as 
they have given their kingdoms to the beaft, 

' " * Bloody tenet, p. 2. f Bloody tenet, p. 44. 



1644.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 59 

in fulnefs of time to hate the whore, to leave her 
defolate and naked, and to burn her fleih with fire. 
Rev. xvii. 16, 17."* Mr. Williams had before 
faid, " This hating and defolating and making 
naked and burning, fhall not arife by way of ordi- 
nance^ warranted by the inftitution of Chrift Jefus ; 
but by w^ay of providence^ when (as it ufeth to be 
with whores and their lovers) the church of Rome 
and her great lovers fhall fall out ; and, by the 
righteous vengeance of God upon her, drunk with 
the blood of the faints, thefe mighty fornicators 
Ihall turn their love into hatred, which ihall make 
her a poor naked whore, torn and confumed.'*t 
But Mr. Cotton pafTed this over in filence. 

Now if v/e take the word fieih here to mean rich- 
es, it is well known that the king of France did the 
jnoli to enrich the Pope, of any king upon earth ; 
and the French nation have now taken the riches 
of the church of Rome to fupport war and ven- 
geance againil her, above all others in the world. 
And is not this according to that prophecy ? 

Of civil government, Mr. Williams fays, " The 
fovereign, original, and foundation of civil power 
lies in the people ; and it is evident that fuch gov- 
ernments as are by them ere(5ted and eftabliftied, 
have no more power, nor for no longer time, than 
the civil power or people confenting and agreeing 
Ihall betruft them with. This is clear, not only in 
reafon, but in the experience of all commonweals, 
vrhere the people are not deprived of their natural 
freedom by the power of tyrants, "t Yea, the ex- 
perience of all America, in her deliverance from the 
tyranny of Britain, confirms this truth. And as 
to religion, Mr. Williams fays, " Perfons may with 
lefs fin be forced to marry whom they cannot love, 

* Tenet waftied, p. 42, 43. 
f Bloody tenet, p. 246. 
j Ibid, tenet, p. 137, 



6o A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.III. 

than to worfliip where they cannot believe.* And 
I find no anfwer to this. 

Mr. Cotton was fo far from, thinking that 
he was a perfecutor, that he faid, " It is not lawful 
to profecute any, until after admonition once or 
twice ; and fo the apoftle direcleth, and giveth the 
reafon, that in fundamental points of dodrine or 
worfliip, the word of God is fo clear, that he can- 
not but be convinced in confcience of the dangerous 
error of his way, after admonition once or twice, 
wifely and faithfully difpenfed. And then if any 
one perfift, it is not out of confcience, but againft 
his confcience ^2.% the apoftle faith. Titus iii. lo, ii." 
Upon which Williams fays, " Titus, unto whom 
thefe directions were written, was no minifter of 
the civil ftate, armed with the material fword, who 
might inflict punifliments upon the bodies of men, 
by imprifonments, whipping, fines, banifliment and 
death. Titus was a minifter of the gofpel, armed 
only with the fpiritual fword of the word of God, 
and fuch fpiritual weapons as were mighty through 
God to the cafting down ftrong holds ; yea, every 
high thought of the higheft head and heart in the 
world. I Cor. x. 4."* And he obferves that the 
charges and exhortations which Chrift gave to his 
minifters, are now applied to civil magiftrates in 
this affair. But upon this Mr. Cotton fays, 

" Look the anfwer through, and you fliall find 
not one of the charges or exhortations given to 
minifters, ever directed by the anfwerer to civil 
magiftrates : the falfehood of the difcuflfer in this 
charge upon the anfwerer is palpable and notori- 
ous.'* And yet in this book he fays, " the good 
that is brought to princes and fubjefe by the due 
puniihment of apoftate feducers, idolaters and blaf- 
phemers, is manifold, i . It putteth away evil from 
the people, and cutteth off a gangrene, which 

* P. 143. t Bloody tenet, p. 36. 



i544.] OF NEW-ENGLAND, 6i 

would fpread to further ungodlinefs, Deut. xiii. 5, 
2 Tim. ii. 16 — 18. 2. It driveth away wolves 
from worrying and fcattering the fheep of Chrift ; 
for falfe teachers be wolves. Mat. vi. 15. ASis 
XX. 29. And the very name of wolves holdeth 
forth what benefit will redound to the Iheep, by 
either kilHng them, or driving them away.''* 

If any man will take the pains to examine 
Mr. Cotton's book well, he will find that his main ar- 
guments are taken from fcriptures which belong 
to the church, and not to the ftate. And that 
pafTage in the epiftle to Titus, about a heretic, 
condemned of himfelf, is referred to from one end 
of his book to the other. And it is implied in the 
fentence of banifhment, palled againft Mr. Wil- 
lianas, where he is condemned for writing letters 
againft their rulers, " before any convidion.'* 
This idea the court evidently took from Mr. Cot- 
ton, who had great influence in their government. 
And as Williams denied that Chrift had appointed 
the civil fword as a remedy againft falfe teachers. 
Cotton faid, " It is evident that the civil fword 
was appointed for a remedy in this cafe, Deut. xiii. 
And appointed it was by that angel of God's pref- 
ence, whom God promifed to fend with his peo- 
ple, as being unwilling to go with them him- 
felf. Exod. xxxiii. 2, 3. And that angel was 
Chrift, whom they tempted in the wildernefs. i 
Cor. X. 9. And therefore it cannot truly be faid, 
that the Lord Jefus never appointed the civil fword 
for a remedy in fuch cafe ; for he did exprefsly 
appoint it in the Old Teftament ; nor did he ever 
abrogate it in the New. The reafon of the law, 
which is the life of the law, is of eternal force and 
equity in all ages. Thou fhalt furely kill him, be- 
caufe he hath fought to thruft thee away from the 
Lord thy God, Deut. xiii. 9, 10. This reafon i^ 

^ Tenet wafhed, page 88, 137, 138. 



62 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.III. 

of moral, that is, of univerfal and perpetual equity, 
to put to death any apoftate feducing idolater, or 
heretic, who feeketh to thruft away the fouls of 
God's people, from the Lord their God."* 

From hence Williams called his reply, " The 
bloody tenet yet more bloody, by Mr. Cotton's 
endeavour to wafh it white ;" from which many 
extrads are made, in the firft volume of our Hifto- 
ry ; and alfo an extrad from Dr. Owen, who faid, 
*^ He who holds the truth may be confuted, but he 
cannot be convinced but by the truth. That a 
man fliould be faid to be convinced of a truth, and 
yet that truth not fhine in upon his underftanding, 
to the expelling the contrary error, to me is ftrange. 
To be convinced is to be overpowered by the evi- 
dence of that, which before a man knew not. I 
once knew a fcholar invited to adifpute with anoth- 
er man, about fomething in controverfy in religion ; 
in his own, and in the judgment of all the by- 
llanders, the oppofing perfon was utterly confuted : 
and yet the fcholar, within a few months, was 
taught of God, and clearly convinced, that it was 
an error which he had maintained, and the truth 
which he oppofed ; and then, and not till then, did 
he ceafe to wonder, that the other was not con- 
vinced by his ftrong arguments, as he before had 
thought. To fay a man is convinced, when either 
from want of fkill and ability, or the like, he cannot 
maintain his opinion againft all men, is a mere con- 
ceit. That they are obftinate and pertinacious is 
a cheap fuppofal, taken up without the price of a 
proof. As the conviction is impofed, not owned, 
fo is this obftinacy : if we may be judges of other 
men's obftinacy, all will be plain ; but if ever they 
get upper moft, they will be judges of ours."f Tliis 
the great Dr. Owen publiflied in London, the year 

* Ibid, p. 66i 67. 

f Folio coUedltion of his tra<5ls, p. 3 1 2. 



1 646.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 6^ 

after Mr. Cotton's book came out there. But it 
was fo little regarded here, that violent methods 
were ftill purfued in this country, though againft 
the minds of many. 

When the commiffioners of the united colonies 
met at New-Haven, September 9, 1646, they faid, 
" Upon ferious confideration of the fpreading na- 
ture of error, the dangerous growth and effects 
thereof in other places, and efpecially how the pu- 
rity and power both of religion and civil order is 
already much complained of, if not wholly loft in 
part of New-England, by a licentious liberty 
granted and fettled, whereby many, cafting off the 
rule of the word, profefs and pradife what is good 
in their own eyes ; and upon information of what 
petitions have been lately put up in fome of the col- 
onies, againft the good and ftraight ways of Chrift, 
both in the churches and in the commonwealth, the 
commiffioners, remembering that thefe colonies, for 
themfelves and their pofterity, did unite into this 
firm and perpetual league, as for other refpeds, fo 
for mutual advice, that the truth and liberties of 
the gofpel might be preferVed and perpetuated, 
thought it their duty feriouily to commend it to 
the care and confideration of each General Court 
within thefe united colonies, that as they have laid 
their foundations and meafured the houfe of God, 
the worihip and worfhippers, by the rod God hath 
put into their hands, fo they would walk on and 
build up (all difcouragements and difficulties not- 
withftanding) with undaunted heart and unweari- 
ed hand, according to the fame rules and patterns ; 
that a due watch be kept at the doors of God's 
houfe, that none be admitted as members of the 
body of Chrift, but fuch as hold forth efFeclual call- 
ing, and thereby union with Chrift the head ; and 
that thofe whom Chrift hath received, and enter by 
an exprefs covenant to obferve the laws and duties 
of that fpiritual corporation ; that baptifm, the feal 



64 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IIL 

of the covenant, be adminiftered only to fuch mem- 
bers and their immediate feed; that Anabaptifm^ 
Familifm, Antinomianifm, and generally all errors 
of like nature, which oppofe, undermine and flight; 
either the Scriptures, the Sabbath, or other ordi- 
nances of God, bring in and cry up unwarrantable 
revelations, inventions of men, or any carnal liber- 
ty under a deceitful colour of liberty of confcience, 
may be duly and feafonably fuppreffed; though they 
wifh as much forbearance and refped may be had of 
tender confciences feeking light, as may fland with 
the purity of religion and peace of the churches." 
But the commiffioners from Plymouth did not 
concur with this ad. They had not loft the im- 
preffion of the inftruc^ions which they received be- 
fore they came to America ; which faid, " As the 
kingdom of Chrift is not of this world, but fpirit- 
ual, and he a fpiritual king, fo muft the govern- 
ment of this fpiritual kingdom under this fpiritual 
king needs be fpiritual, and all the laws of it. And 
as Chrift Jefus hath, by the merits of his priefthood, 
redeemed as well the body as the foul ;* fo is he 
by the fceptre of his kingdom to rule and reign 
over both ; unto which chriftian magiftrates, as 
well as meaner perfons, ought to fubmit themfelves ; 
and the more chriftian they are, the more meekly 
to take the yoke of Chrift upon them ; and the 
greater authority they have, the more efFe6lually 
to advance his fceptre over themfelves and their 
people, by all good means. Neither can there be 
any reafon given why the merits of faints may not 
as well be mingled with the merits of Chrift, for 
the faving of the church, as the laws of men with 
his laws, for the ruling and guiding of it. He is as 
abfolute and as entire a king as he is a prieft, and his 
people muft be as careful to preferve the dignity of 
the one, as to enjoy the benefit of the other.t*' 

* John xvili. 36. i Cor. vi. 20. 
f Robinfon againft Bernard, p. 38, 



1647.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 65 



CHAP. IV. 

Plan of Williams' govern?nent ; and of the churches in 
the Majfachufetts. — Cambridge platform, — Williams 
on naiio?2al confufion, — Coddington does hurt to his 
own colony, — Winthrop dies, — Clarke and Holmes 
fuffer at Bojion, -^Williams and Clarke go to England^ 
and expofe fuch doings there, — Letter about it from 
thence. — Cotton dies, — Infant b apt if 7n oppofed at Canu 
bridge, — Williams and Clarke oppofed in England^ 
and yet prevail, — Williams returns and is Frefident 
here ; and prevails in his colony, — fakers come 
over and behave provokingly^ and four of them were 
hanged. 



T 



HE feverities, that were exercifed in the other 
colonies, caufed many of different opinions to re- 
move into Providence colony, where they could 
have full liberty ; and this made it more difficult 
for them to agree upon their plan of govern- 
ment. But on May 19, 1647, ^^^7 "^^^ ^^ Portf- 
mouth, and elected a Prefident, as their chief ruier, 
and an Affiftant from each of the towns of Provi- 
dence, Portsmouth, Newport and Warwick ; and 
they were to be Judges in executive courts, and to 
keep the peace. But fix reprefentatives from each 
town were to make their laws, which were to be 
fent to each town, to be eftablifhed or difannulled 
by the major vote of all their freemen, Mr. Wil- 
liams was their Affiftant for Providence ; but fuch 
difficulties arofe in the colony, that he drew a cove- 
nant in December following for all to fign who 
would, wherein they fay, " That government held 
forth through love, union and order, though by few 
in number and mean in condition, yet hath by expe- 
rience withftood and overcome mighty oppofers ; 
and above all, the feveral unexpeded deliverances 
I 



J 



66 A CHURCH HISTORY [Cn. IV. 

of this poor plantation, by that mighty Providence 
who is flill able to deliver us, through love, union 
and order ; therefore being fenfible of thefe great 
and weighty premifes, and now met together to 
confult about our peace and liberty, whereby our 
families and pofterity will ftill enjoy thefe favours ; 
and that we may declare unto all the free difcharge 
of our confcience and duties, whereby it may ap- 
pear upon record that we are not wilfully oppofite, 
nor carelefs and fenfelefs, and fo the means of our 
own and others' ruin and deftruclion ; and efpecial- 
ly in teftimony of our fidelity and affeclion unto 
one another here prefent, we promife unto each 
other to keep unto the enfuing particulars.'' And 
fo went on to lay down excellent rules of conduct, 
in order to remove their difficulties. 

The name Providence, which Mr. Williams gave 
both to his town and colony, and the word hope, 
in their public feal, with the figure of an anchor 
therein, were defigned to hold forth the hope that 
he had in God, that he would fucceed the great 
work that he was engaged in, of eftablifhing a civil 
government upon the principles of true freedom to 
foul and body. This appears plain in many of his 
writings. But as they now appeared to be weak, 
and to have divifions among them, the Maflachufetts 
flill refufed to own them as a difl;incl government, 
and tried all they could to bring them under their 
power, which they thought was a holy government ; 
and to continue it fo. Governor Winthrop fays, 

" Two churches were appointed to be gathered, 
one at Haverhill and the other at Andover, both 
upon Merrimack river. They had given notice 
thereof to the magiftrates and elders, who defired, 
in regard of their remotenefs and fcarcity of houf- 
ing there, that the meeting might be at Rowley, 
which they afl'ented unto ; but being affembled, 
mofl of thofe who were to join, refufed to declare 
how God had carried on the work of grace in tliem^ 



1647-] OP NEW-ENGLAND. 67 

becaufe they had deelared it formerly in their ad- 
iTiiffion into other churches ; whereupon the alTem- 
bly broke up without proceeding." This was in 
the fall of 1644.* Their ftridnefs of govern- 
ment, both in church and Hate, did much towards 
reftraining of immoralities among them ; fo much 
that Mr. Hugh Peters, who came over to Bofton in 
1635, and travelled and laboured much in this coun- 
try, until he went back upon the turn of times iu 
England, where he became very famous, gave an 
extraordinary characler of New -En gland. When 
the Parliament had conquered all the king's forces 
in England, they kept a day of thankfgivingfor it, 
April 2, 1646, and Peters preached a fermon before 
the Parliament, the Weilminfter affembly of divines, 
and the corporation of the city of London, to 
whom he faid, " 1 have lived in a country, where 
for feven years I never faw a beggar, nor heard an 
oath, nor looked upon a drunkard/'t This he faid 
to urge them into like .meafures with the Maffachu- 
fetts. 

But a greater fight now appears before the 
world, than was then fo much extolled. For the 
fcheme which they fo much admired, has long fince 
been broken and dilTolved ; and the principles 
which were then defpifed and perfecuted, are now 
become the glory of America. Roger Williams, 
John Clarke, Jofeph Clarke, Thomas Olney, Greg- 
ory Dexter, Samuel Hubbard, and many others in 
that little colony, held the pure do6lrines of grace, 
and the importance of a holy life, as much as the 
fathers of the Maffachufetts did ; and they ellab- 
lifhed the firft government upon earth, that gave 
equal liberty, civil and religious, which is iiow en- 
joyed in the moft parts of America. General 
Greene alfo, the fecond military character in our 
revolutionary war, fprang from one of the firft 

* Winthrop, p. 356. 
t Peters* Sermon, p. 44. 



68 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IV, 

planters of Providence. Thefe things fliew how 
great men have been miftaken, and that we ever 
fliould judge of things by the light of revelation, 
and not take any men as our guides, further than 
they appear to walk in that light. 

Many books were brought from England about 
this time, but none were more difagreeable to the 
fathers of the MaiTachufetts, than thofe which were 
written againft infant baptifm, and for liberty of 
confcience. Several extrads from thofe writings 
have already been given. And the public records 
at Bofton, in 1646, fliew that controverfies about 
infant baptifm were a chief caufe of their calling a 
fynod, to compofe a platform of government for 
their churches. Minifters were called from all 
their Colonies to affift in this work. But Mr. 
Hooker of Hartford died before they met, on July 
7, 1647. ^ book of his was printed in London, 
after his death, in which he fays, " Children, as 
children, have no right to baptifm ; fo that it be- 
longs not to any predeceiTors, either nearer or fur- 
ther off, removed from the next parents, to give 
right of this privilege to their children.'** And 
when th^ fynod met in 1648, and compofed their 
platform, which was approved by their general 
court, the majority of them agreed with him in this, 
though Mr. Cotton would have extended it fur- 
ther. And though he, and their churches in gen- 
eral, had allowed no elders to lay on hands in or- 
dination, but the elders of the church in which the 
paftor was ordained ; yet they now faid, " In 
churches where there are no elders, and the church 
fo defire, we fee not why impofition of hands may 
not be performed by the elders of other churches." 
In this I think they were right ; but when they 
fay, " If any church, one or more, ftiall grow fchif- 
matical, rending itfelf from the communion of 

* Survey of church difcipline, part iii, p. ij. 



1648.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 69 

other churches, or fhall walk incorrigibly or obfti- 
nately in any corrupt way of their own, contrary 
to the rule of the word ; in fuch cafe the magiftiate 
is to put forth his coercive power, as the n atter 
fliali require ',* here I muft enter n y diifent, be- 
caufe this principle is the root of all the bloody per- 
fecution that ever was in the world. 

Mr. Williams obferves, that the attempts for a 
reformation in England, by the power of the ma- 
giftrate, filled their country wnth blood and confu- 
fion for an hundred years. For fays he, " Henry 
the feventh leaves England under the flaviih bon- 
dage of the Pope's yoke. Henry the eighth re- 
forms all England to a new faftiion, half papifl, 
half proteftant. King Edward the fixth turns a- 
bout the wheels of ftate, and works the whole land 
to abfolute proteftantifm. Queen Mary fucceeding 
to the helm, fleers a dired contrary courfe, breaks 
in pieces all that Edward wrought, and brings forth 
an old edition of England's reformation, all popiih. 
Mary not living out half her days (as the prophet 
fpeaks of bloody perfons) Elizabeth (like Jofeph) is 
advanced from the prifon to the palace, and from 
the irons to the crown ; fhe plucks up all her iifter 
Mary's plants, and founds a trumpet, all proteftant. 
What fober man is not amazed at thefe revolu- 
tions !"t 

Yet as all thofe revolutions were made by rulers 
w^ho were not comparable to the godly magiftrates 
and minifters here, they regarded not the warnings 
of men whom they thought to be deceived. And a 
writ was fent from Bofton, to cite men in the midft 
of Providence colony, to come to Bofton to anfwer 
to complaints that were entered there, dated June 
20, 1650 ; which writ is recorded at Providence. 
Not only fo, but when Mr. Coddington was elecl- 
ed Prefident of his colony, May 16, 1648, he refuC: 

* Platform, cap. ix. xvii. 
t Eloody Tenet, p. 197. 



70 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IV. 

ed to ferve, becaufe William Dyre had commenced 
an adion againft him about fome lands ; and in 
September after he went and tried to get Rhode- 
Illand to be received into confederacy with the 
united colonies ; and as that fcheme failed, he went 
to England, in the year 1651, and obtained a com- 
miffion for himfelf to be Governor of that illand, 
feparate from the reft of the colony, when he had 
the deeds of the whole ifland in his own hands. 
This caufed fuch a fire of contention among them, 
that one man was condemned by a vote of the 
town of Newport, and was carried out and fhot to 
death in their prefence. How they were relieved 
will appear hereafter. 

Governor Winthrop was an excellent ruler, 
until he died, March 26, 1649, ^^ ^is 626. year. 
He kept a journal of remarkable events in his colo- 
ny, from 1630, until near his end. Hubbard, 
Mather and Prince, made great ufe of it in their 
hiftories. But the firft volume of it was publiftied 
entire in 1790, as it never was before. It gives 
the cleareft account of dates, principles and motives 
of adions in their government, of any work that 
ever was publiflied. By it we may learn that he 
was for milder meafures with diffenters from their 
worfhip, than the majority of their rulers and 
minifters were ; and though they drew him into 
greater feverities than he defired, yet near his end, 
when Mr. Dudley defired him to fign an order to 
banilh a perfon for heterodoxy, he refufed, faying, 
^' We have done too much of that work already."* 
He fpent a large part of his great eftate in promot- 
ing the plantation of his colony, though he met 
with much ungrateful treatment therein ; but his 
eldeftfon went over and procured Connedlicut char- 
ter, and was Governor of that colony until he died, in 
iGyG, Thefe were great honours for one family. 

* Belknap's Biography, vol. ii. p. 356. 



1649.] ^F NEW-ENGLAND. 71 

Mr. John Clarke was an Affiftant and the Trea- 
furer of Rhode Ifland colony in 1649 ? ^^^ ^^^^^ 
could not fecure him from cruel perfecution in the 
MalTachufetts two years after, with Mr. Obadiah 
Holmes, who fprang from a good family in Eng- 
land. When Holmes came over firil to this coun- 
try, he joined to the church in Salem, and was 
difmiffed from thence to the church in Rehoboth, 
under the miniftry of Mr. Samuel Newman. With 
them he walked about five years, and then he 
withdrew from Newman, becaufe he had affumed 
a prefbyterial power over the church. Soon after, 
he and fome others became Baptifts, upon which 
Newman excommunicated them, and then got 
them prefented to the court of Plymouth, June 4, 
1650. And when they came there, they found 
that one letter was fent to the court againft them 
from Rehoboth, another from Taunton, a third 
from moft of the minifters in Plymouth colony, 
and a fourth from the court at Bofton, all urging 
fliarp dealings with them. But Governor Brad- 
ford and his court only charged them to defifl: 
from their feparate meeting at Rehoboth, and ad- 
journed their cafe to October court, when they 
were difmiffed without any punifhment. Such 
was then the government of Plymouth colony. 
But how different was that of the MalTachufetts ! 
There Mr. Clarke and two of his brethren went 
to vifit an old brother of theirs at Lynn, beyond 
Boflon, where they arrived July 19, 1651, and held 
worfhip with him the next day, which was the 
Lord's day. But Mr. Clarke could not get through 
his firft fermon before he and his friends were feiz- 
ed by an officer, and carried to a tavern, and to the 
parifh worfhip in the afternoon ; and at the clofe 
of it Clarke fpake a few words, and then a magif- 
trate fent them into confinement, and next day to 
Boflon prifon. And on July 31, they were tried 
before the court of Affiftants, by whom Clarke was 



^l A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IV. 

fined twenty pounds, Holmes thirty, and John 
Crandal five, or each to be well whipt. When 
Judge Endecot gave this fentence againft them, he 
laid,," You go up and down, and fecretly infinu- 
ate things into thofe that are weak, but you can- 
not maintain it before our minifters ; you may 
try and difpute with them.'* Therefore Mr. 
Clarke wrote from the prifon to the court, and 
propofed a fair difpute upon his principles with 
any of their minifters. And upon their afking 
what fald principles were, he faid, 

" I teftify that Jefus of Nazareth, whom God 
hath raifed from the dead, is made Lord and 
Chrift ; this Jefus 1 fay is Chrift ; in Englifh, the 
anointed one ; hath a name above every name ; he 
is the anointed Prieft, none to or with him in point 
of atonement ; the anointed Prophet, none to 
him in point of inftitution ; the anointed King, 
who is gone unto his Father for his glorious king- 
dom, and fhall ere Ipng return again; and. that 
this Jefus Chrift is alfo Lord, none to or with him 
by way of commanding and ordering, with refer- 
ence to the worftiip of God, the houfehold of faith, 
which being purchafed with his blood as a prieft, 
inftru6led and nourifhed by his Spirit as a prophet, 
do wait in his appointments, as he is the Lord, in 
hope of that glorious kingdom, which ihall ere 
long appear. 2. I teftify that baptifm, or dipping 
in water, is one of the commandments of the Lord 
Jefus Chrift, and that a vifible believer, or difciple 
of Chrift Jefus (that is, one who manifefteth repent- 
ance towards God, and faith in Jefus Chrift) is the 
only perion that is to be baptized or dipped with 
that vifible baptifm or dipping of Jefus Chrifi in 
water, and alfo that vifible perfon that is to walk 
in that vifible order of his houfe, and to wait for 
his comins: the fecond time in the form of Lord 
and King, with his glorious kingdom, according to 
promife \ and for his fending down, in the time of 



1^5 1.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 73 

his abfence, that Holy Ghoft, or Holy Spirit of 
promife, and all this according to the laft will and 
teftament of that living Lord, whofe will is not to 
be added to or taken from. 3. I teftify or witnefs, 
that every fuch believer in Chrift Jefus, that wait- 
eth for his appearing, may in point of liberty, yea, 
ought in point of duty, to improve that talent his 
Lord hath given him, and in the congregation may 
ajQi for information to himfelf ; or if he can, may 
fpeak by way of prophecy for the edification, ex- 
hortation and comfort of the whole ; and out of 
the congregation at all times, upon all occalions, 
and in all places, as far as the jurifdiclion of his 
Lord extendeth, may, yea ought to walk as a child 
of lights juftifying wifdom with his ways, and re- 
proving folly with the unfruitful works thereof; 
provided all this is fhewn out of a good converfa- 
tion, as James fpeaks, v/ith meeknefs of wifdom, 
4. I teftify, that no fuch believer, or fervant of 
Chrift Jefus, hath any liberty, much lefs authority 
from his Lord, to fmite his fellow fervant, nor 
with outward force, or arm of flefti to conftrain, 
or reftrain his confcience, nor his outward man 
for confcience fake, or worfliip of his God, where 
injury is not offered to any perfon, name or eftate 
of others, every man being fuch as ihall appear be- 
fore the judgment feat of Chrift, and muft give an 
account of himfelf to God ; and therefore ought 
to be fully perfuaded in his own mind for what he 
undertakes, becaufe he that doubteth is damned if 
he eat, and fo alfo if he acf , becaufe he doth not eat 
or ad in faith, and what is not of faith is fin/'* 

When he had given this plain teftimony, there 
was a talk that Mr. Cotton would difpute him up- 
on it ; but after confulting together, Cotton de- 
clined, and Clarke was releafed from prifon, to be 

* Clarke's Narrative, p. 9, 10. 

K 



74 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.1V. 

gone out of their colony as foon as poflible. Cran- 
dal alfo was releafed with him ; but as Holmes had 
been one of them, they refolved to make him a 
public example. He was therefore confined until 
September, and then was brought out to bepunifti- 
ed in Bofton ; and two magiftrates, Nowel and 
Flint, were prefent to fee it done feverely. Mr. 
Holmes, after giving the previous exercifes of his 
own mind, fays, 

" I defired to fpeak a few words, but Mr. Now- 
el anfwered, It is not now a time to fpeak ; where- 
upon I took leave, and faid. Men, brethren, fa- 
thers and countrymen, I befeech you to give me 
leave to fpeak a few words, and the rather becaufe 
here are many fpeclators to fee me punifhed, and I 
am to feal with my blood, if God give ftrength, 
that which I hold and pra<Elife in reference to the 
word of God, and the teftimony of Jefus. That 
which I have to fay in brief is this, although I am 
no difputant, yet feeing I am to feal with my blood 
what I hold, I am ready to defend by the word, 
and to difpute that point with any that {hall come 
forth to withfland it. Mr. Ncw^el anfwered, now 
was no time to difpute ; then faid I, I defire to 
give an account of the faith and order whicL I 
hold, and this I defired three times ; but in comes 
Mr. Flint, and faith to the executioner. Fellow, do 
thine office, for this fellow would but make a long 
fpeech to delude the people ; fo I being refolved to 
fpeak, told the people, that which I am to fuffer 
for is the word of God, and tefiimony of Jefus 
Chrift. No, faith Mr. Nowel, it is for your error, 
and going about to feduce the people ; to w^hich I 
replied, Not for error, for in all the time of my 
imprifonment, wherein I -was left alone, my breth- 
ren being gone, which of all your minifters came 
to convince me of error ? And when upon the 
Governor's words, a motion was made for a pub- 
lic difpute, and often renewed upon fair terms. 



1^5 1.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. ^^ 

and defired by hundreds, what was the reafon it 
was not granted ? Mr. Nowel told me, it was his 
fault who went away and would not difpute ; but 
this the writings will clear at large. Still Mr. 
Flint calls to the man to do his office ; fo before, 
and in the time of his pulHng off my clothes, I con- 
tinued fpeaking, telling them that 1 had fo learned 
that for all BoSon I would not give my body into 
their hands thus to be bruifed upon another ac- 
count, yet upon this I would not give the hun- 
dredth part of a * wampum peague, to free it out of 
their hands ; and that I made as much confcience 
of unbuttoning one button, as I did of paying the 
thirty pounds in reference thereunto. I told them 
moreover, that the I^ord having manifefled his 
love towards me, in giving me repentance towards 
God, and faith in Chrift, and fo to be baptize4 in 
water by a meifenger of Jefus, in the name of 
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, wherein I have 
fellow Qiip with him in his death, burial and refur- 
region, I am now come to be baptized in afflic- 
tions by your hands, that fo I may have further 
fellowlhip with my Lord, and am not afliamed of 
his fufferings, for by his ftripes am I healed. And 
as the man began to lay the flrokes upon my back, 
I faid to the people, though my flelh fliould fail, 
and my fpirit fhould fail, yet God would not fail ; 
fo it pleafed the Lord to come in, and to fill my 
heart and tongue as a vefTel full, and with an audi- 
ble voice I break forth, praying the Lord not to 
lay this fiij to their charge, and telling the people 
that now I found he did not fail me, and therefore 
now I fhould truft him forever who failed me not ; 
for in truth, as the ftrokes fell upon me, I had fuch 
a fpirituai manifeftation of God's prefence, as I 
never had before, and the outward pain was fo re- 
rooved from me, that I could well bear it, yea, and 

* The fixth part of a penny. 



^6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IV. 

in a manner felt it not, although it was grievous, as 
the fpeclators faid, the man ftriking with all his 
ftrength, fpitting in his hand three times, with a 
three corded whip, giving me therewith thirty 
ftrokes. When he had loofed me from the poft, 
having joy fulnefs in my heart, and cheerfulnefs in 
my countenance, as the fpeclators obfcrved, I told 
the magiftrates, You have ftruck me as with rofes ; 
and faid moreover, although the Lord hath made 
it eafy to me, yet I pray God it may not be laid to 
your charge. 

" After this many came to me, rejoicing to fee 
the power of the Lord manifefted in weak flefh ; 
but finful flefh takes occaiion hereby to bring oth- 
ers into trouble, inform.s the magiftrates hereof, 
and fo two more are apprehended as for contempt 
of authority ; their names are John Hazel and 
John Spur, who came indeed and did fhake me by 
the hand, but did ufe no words of contempt or re- 
proach unto any. No man can prove that the firft 
fpake any thing ; and for the fecond, he only, faid, 
Bleffed be the Lord -, yet thefe two, for taking me 
by the hand, and thus faying, after I had received 
my punilhment, were fentenced to pay forty Ihil- 
lings, or to be whipt. Both were refolved againft 
paying their fine : neverthelefs, after one or two 
days imprifonment, one paid John Spur's fine, and 
he was releafed ; and after fix or feven days imprif- 
onment of brother Hazel, even the day when he 
fhould have fuffered, another paid his, and fo he 
efcaped, and the next day went to vifit a friend 
about fix miles from Bofton, where he fell fick the 
fame day, and within ten days he ended this life. 
When I was come to the prifon, it pleafed God to 
ftir up the heart of an old acquaintance of mine, 
who with much tendernefs, like the good Samari- 
tan, poured oil into my wounds, and plaftered my 
fores ; but there was prefent information given of 
what was done, and inquiry made who was the fur- 



1652.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. ^^ 

geon, and it was commonly reported he fhould 
be fent for ; but what was done, I yet know 
not. Now thus it hath pleafed the Father of mer- 
cies to difpofe of the matter, that my bonds and 
imprifonment have been no hinderance to the gof- 
pel ; for before my return, fome fubmitted to the 
Lord, and were baptized, and divers were put up- 
on the way of inquiry ; and now being advifed to 
make my efcape by night, becaufe it was reported 
that there were warrants forth for me, I departed ; 
and the next day after, while I was on my journey, 
the conftable came to fearch at the houfe where I 
lodged ; fo I efcaped their hands, and by the good 
hand of my heavenly Father brought home again 
to my near relations, my wife and eight children, 
the brethren of our town and Providence having 
taken pains to meet me four miles in the woods, 
where we rejoiced together in the Lord. Thus 
have I given you, as briefly as I can, a true relation 
of things ; wherefore, my brethren, rejoice with 
me in the Lord, and give all glory to him, for he 
is worthy, to whom be praife forevermore, to 
whom I commit you, and put up my earned 
prayers for you, that by my late experience, who 
trufted in God and have not been deceived, you 
may truft in him perfectly : wherefore, my dearly 
beloved brethren, truft in the Lord, and you fhail 
not be afliamed nor confounded. So I reft, yours 
in the bond of charity, 

OBADIAH HOLMES.* 

" Unto the well beloved John Spilfbury, William 
KifFen, and the reft that in London ftand faft in the 
faith." 

This was carried.to England, and publifhed there 
in 1^52 ; upon which Sir Richard Saltonftall, who 
was an early magiftrate in the MalTachufetts, when 

* Clarke, p. 17 — 23. 



78 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IV. 

Bofton was firft planted, but was now in London, 
wrote to the miniilers of Bofton, and faid : 

*' Reverend and dear friends ^ luhom I unfelgnedly love and re/peB, 

" It doth not a little grieve my fpirit to hear what 
fad things are reported daily of your tyranny and 
perfecution in New-England ; that you fine, whip 
and imprifon men for their confciences. Firft, you 
compel fuch to come into your affemblies as you 
know will not join with you in worfhip, and when 
they fhew their dillike thereof, or witnefs againft 
it, then you ftir up your magiftrates to punifh them 
for fuch (as you conceive) their public affronts. 
Truly, friends, this praftice of compelling any in 
matters of worfhip to do that whereof they are not 
fully perfuaded, is to make them fin, for fo the 
apoftle tells us, Rom. xiv. 23 ; and many are made 
hypocrites thereby, conforming in their outward 
man for fear of punifhment. We pray for you, 
and wifh your profperity every way ; hoped the 
Lord would have given you fo much light and love 
there, that you might have been eyes to God's peo- 
ple here, and not to pra^ife thofe courfes in a wil- 
dernefs, which you went fo far to prevent. Thefe 
rigid ways have laid you very low in the hearts of 
the faints. I do affure you I have heard them pray 
in public affemblies, that the Lord would give you 
meek and humble fpirits, not to ftrive fo much for 
uniformity as to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
bond of peace. When I was in Holland, about the 
beginning of our wars, I remember fome Chriftians 
jthere, that then had ferious thoughts of planting in 
|>Tew-England, defired me to write to the Governor 
thereof to know if thofe that differ from you in 
opinion, yet holding the fanie foundation in relig- 
ion, as Anabaptifts, Seekers, Antinomians, and the 
jike, might be permitted to live among you ; to 
which 1 received this fliort anfwer from your then 
poverpor, Mr. Dudley, God forbid, faid he, our 



165^] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 79 

love for the truth fhould be grown fo cold that we 
fhould tolerate errors.'* 

To this Mr. Cotton anfwered, and faid, 

** Honoured and dear Sir, 

" My brother Wilfon and felf do both of us ac- 
knowledge your love, as otherwife formerly, fo 
now in the late lines we received from you, that you 
grieve in fpirit to hear daily complaints againft us ; 
it fpringeth from your compaflion for our affliclions 
therein, wherein we fee juft caufe to defire you may 
never fuffer like injury inyourfelf,but may find others 
to compailionate and condole with you. For when 
the complaints you hear of are againft our tyranny 
and perfecution in fining, whipping and imprifon- 
ing men for their confciences, be pleafed to under- 
ftand we look at fuch complaints as altogether inju- 
rious in refpecl of ourfelves, who had no hand or 
tongue at all to promote either the coming of the 
perfons you aim at into our afiTemblies, or their 
punifhment for their carriage there. Righteous 
judgment will not take up reports, much lefs re- 
proaches againft the innocent. The cry of the fins 
of Sodom was great and loud, and reached unto 
heaven ; yet the righteous God (giving us an ex- 
ample what to do in the like cafe) he would firft 
go down to fee whether their crimes were alto- 
gether according to the cry, before he would pro- 
ceed to judgment. Gen. xviii. 20, 21. And when 
he did find the truth of the cry, he did not wrap 
up all alike promifcuoufly in the judgment, but 
fpared fuch as he found innocent. We are amongft 
thofe (if you knew us better) you would account 
of (as the matron of Abel fpake of herfelf) peacea- 
ble in Ifrael. 2 Sam. xx. 19. Yet neither are we 
fo vaft in our indulgence or toleration as to think 
the men you fpeak of fuffered an unjuft cenfure. 
For one of them, Obadiah Holmes, being an ex- 
communicate perfon himfelf, out of a church in 
Plymouth patent, came into this jurifdi<5lion, and 



8o A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IV, 

took upon him to baptize, which I think himfelf 
will not fay he was compelled here to perform. 
And he was not ignorant that the rebaptizing of 
an elder perfon, and that by a private perfon out 
of office and under excommunication, are all of 
them manifeft conteftations againft the order and 
government of our churches, eilabliflied, we know, 
by God's law, and he knoweth, by the laws of the 
country. And we conceive we may fafely appeal 
to the ingenuity of your own judgment, whether 
it would be tolerated in any civil ftate, for a ftran- 
ger to come and pra6life contrary to the known 
principles of the church eftate ? As for his whip- 
ping, it was more voluntarily chofen by him than 
infiided on him. His cenfure by the court was to 
have paid, as I know, thirty pounds, or elfe to be 
whipt ; his line was offered to be paid by friends 
for him freely ; but he chofe rather to be whipt ; 
in which cafe, if his fuffering of ftripes was any 
worlhip of God at all, furely it could be accounted 
no better than will-worfhip. The other, Mr. 
Clarke, was wifer in that point, and his offence was 
lefs, fo was his fine lefs, and himfelf, as I hear, was 
contented to have it paid for him, whereupon he 
was releafed. The imprifonment of either of them 
was no detriment. 1 believe they fared neither of 
them better at home ; and I am fure Holmes 
had not been fo well clad of many years before. 

" But be pleafed to confider this point a little 
farther. You think to compel men in mat- 
ter of woriliip is to make them lin, accord- 
ing to Romans xiv. 23. If the worfhip be 
lawful in itfelf, the magiflrate compelling to 
come to it, compelleth him not to iin, but the 
,iin is in his will that needs to be compelled to 
a chriftian duty. Jofiah compelled all Ifrael, or 
which is ail one, made to ferve the Lord their God. 
2 Chron. xxxiv. t^t^. Yet his ad herein was not 
blamed, but recorded among his virtuous actions. 



1652.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 81 

For a Governor to fufFer any within his gates to 
profane the fabbath, is a lin againft the fourth 
commandment, both in the private houfeholder 
and in the magiftrate ; and if he requires them to 
prefent themfeives before the Lord, the magiftrate 
iinneth not, nor doth the fubje6t fin fo great a iin 
as if he did refrain to come. — But you fay it doth 
but make men hypocrites, to compel men to con- 
form the outward man for fear of punifhment. If 
it did fo, yet better be hypocrites than profane 
perfons. Hypocrites give God part of his due, the 
outward man, but the profane perfon giveth God 
neither outward nor inward man. — Neverthelefs, I 
tell you the truth, we have tolerated in our church 
fome Anabaptifts, fome Antinomians, and fome 
Seekers, and do fo flill at this day."* 

Thefe letters give a plain idea of the fentiments 
of thefe two great men in that day, and that of 
Mr. Cotton fhews the abfurdities of his fcheme of 
compuliion about religion. The paying of Mr. 
Clarke's fine, he fays, was done " contrary to my 
judgment. "t Yet Mr. Cotton reports that he con- 
fented to it, and reflects upon Holmes for not doing 
the fame. But I have a writino: of Governor 
Jenks, wherein he fays, " Although the paying of 
a fine feems to be a fmall thing in comparifon of a 
man's parting with his religion, yet the paying of 
a fine is the acknowledging of a tranfgreilion ; and 
for a man to acknowledge that he has tranfgreiled, 
when his confcience tells him he has not, is but lit- 
tle if any thing fhort of parting with his religion ; 
and it is likely this might be the confideration of 
thofe fufferers.*' And though Cotton fays, " Hyp- 
ocrites.give God part of his due," yet in the firil 
Chriftian church God ftruck two hypocrites dead 
for lying to the Holy Ghoft, and faid upon it. Of 

* Hutchinfon's Colledlons, p. 401 — 407. 
f Narrative, p. 11. 

L 



82 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IY. 

the reft durft no man join himfelf to them, but the 
people magnified them. And believers were the 
more added to the Lord, muhitudes both of men 
and women. Acls v. 5 — 14. And how loud is 
this warning to all the world againft lying and hy- 
pocrify, efpecially in the affairs of religion ! And 
though Mr. Cotton w^as exceeding confident that 
their churches were eftablifhed by the laws of God, 
yet the character which he gives of his own church 
is more like confuiion of all fentiments, than the 
union defcribed in the iirft Chriftian churches. 

Mr. Cotton died on December 23. 1652, foon af- 
ter this letter was written. He was greatly efleem- 
ed, both in Europe and America, as a clear preach- 
er of the gofpel. And though he was fo dark 
about Chriftian liberty, yet Mr. Williams fays, 
^' Since it pleafed God to lay a command on my 
confcience to come in as his poor witnefs in this 
great caufe, I rejoice that it hath pleafed him to 
appoint fo able and excellent and confcionable an in- 
ftrument, to bolt out the truth to the bran. As it 
is my conftant grief to differ from any fearing God, 
fo much more from Mr. Cotton, whom I highly 
cfteem and dearly refpecl, for fo great a portion of 
mercy given unto him, and fo many truths of 
Chrift maintained by him.'** So that his con- 
fcience obliged him to write againft the errors of a 
man whom he highly efteemed. And in the fame 
book he fent a letter to Governor Endicot, in 
which he faid, " By your principles and confcience, 
fuch as you count heretics, blafphemers and fedu- 
cers muftbe put to death. You cannot be faithful 
to your principles and confcience without it.^f 
Endicot did plead confcience in putting four 
perfons to death about eight years after ; and this 
hath expofed New-England to reproach among the 

* Preface to Williams againft Cotton, 1652, p. 6» 
f Tenet more bloody, p. 312. 



iSs3'l GF NEW-ENGLANB. S3 

nations ever fince, more than any other adion they 
ever did. 

The fulFerings and vi/ritiiigs of the Baptifts at 
this time were a caufe of light to many. Mr. 
Henry Dunftar, Pr-efident of Cambridge college, 
had fuch a turn in his mind, that he boldly preach- 
ed in their pulpk, that they had no right to baptize 
any infant whatever. And v/hen Mr. Mitchel, 
minifter in the town, went to talk with him upon 
the fubject, great fcruples were raifed in his own 
mind about infant baptifm. But he laboured hard 
to remove them, and at length concluded that they 
were from the devil, and faid, " I refolved that I 
would have an argument able to remove a moun- 
tain, before I would recede from, or appear againft 
a truth or pradice received among the faithful."* 
This was in December, 1653; and Dr. Cotton 
Mather publifhed it to the world in 1 697, and Mr. 
John Cleaveland of Ipfwich inferted it in a piece he 
publifhed for infant baptifm in 1784. Thus it has 
been a tradition in New-England, from the fathers 
of the MaHachufetts to our days, that they who for- 
fake infant baptifm are deceived by the devil, 
though that practice is not named in the Bible ! 
And Mr. Dunftar was turned out from being Prell- 
dent, for rejecting it, and fuch a temper was dif- 
covered againft him, that he removed out of their 
colony, and fpent the remainder of his days at 
Scituate in Plymouth colony, where he died in 
1659. Captain Johnfon finifhed writing his hifto- 
ry in 1652, juft before this event, and then he faid, 
*' Mr. Henry Dunftar is now Prelident of the col- 
lege, fitted from the Lord for the work, and by 
thofe that have Ikill that way, reported to be an 
able proficient, both in the Hebrew, Greek and 
J^atin languages, an orthodox preacher of the truths 

* Mitchers Life, p. 67 — 7O0 



S4 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IV. 

of Chrift, and very powerful through his blefling, 
to move the affecftions."* 

At the fame time he faid, " Familifts, Seekers, 
Antinomians and Anabaptifts are fo ill armed, that 
they think it bed lleeping in a vi^hole fkin ; fearing 
that if the day of battle once goes on, they ihall 
fall among antichrift's armies ; and therefore cry 
out like cowards. If you will let me alone, I will 
let you alone ; but affuredly the Lord Chrift hath 
faid. He that is not with us is againft us : there is 
no room in his army for toleratorifts.'^f But the 
Baptifts were fo far from fear or difcouragement, 
that they boldly perfevered in their way, till they 
obtained deliverance. The towns of Newport and 
Portfmouth chofe Mr Clarke, and Providence and 
Warwick chofe Mr. Williams their agents to go to 
England, and plead their caufe there. And that 
they might have a fair trial, the commiffioners of 
the United Colonies, at their meeting in Septem- 
ber, 1651, received a writing from Warwick, fay- 
ing, " May it pleafe this honoured committee to 
take knowledge, that we, the inhabitants of Shaw- 
omet, alias Warwick, having undergone divers op- 
preffions and wrongs, amounting to great damage, 
Bnce we firft poffeffed this place ; being forced 
thereby to feek to the honourable ftate of Old- 
England for relief, which did inevitably draw great 
charge upon us, to the further impairing of our 
eftates ; and finding favour for redrefs, were wil- 
ling to wave for that time (in regard to the great 
troubles and employment that then lay on that 
ftate) all other lelTer wrongs we then underwent, 
fo that we might be replaced in and upon this our 
purchafed poiTeiTion, and enjoy it peaceably for 
time to come, without difturbance or moleftation 
by thofe from whom we had formerly fuffer^d. 

* Johnfon, p. 168. His hlftory was printed In 1654. 
t Johnfon, p. 231. 



lesi'l OF NEW-ENGLAND. Ss 

But fince our gracious grant from the Hon. Par- 
liament, in replacing of us in this place, we have 
been and are daily preffed with intolerable griev- 
ances, to the eating up of our labours, and wafting 
of our eftates, making our lives, together with our 
wives and children, bitter and uncomfortable ; in- 
fomuch that, groaning under our burden, we are 
again conftrained to make our addrefs to the Par- 
liament." And fo gave the Colonies notice to 
be prepared to anfwer their complaints there. 

This caufed the commiflioners of the MalTachu- 
fetts, Bradftreet and Hathorne, to obferve that 
Plymouth gave up thofe lands to them in 1643, to 
which others aiTented, and told of the great pains 
and expenfe they had been at about Gorton and 
his company, and fupport to the Indians, who faid 
thofe men had wronged them about their lands ; 
and defired to know if the other colonies would 
help them to do juftice for the Indians. But the 
commiflioners from Plymouth, Brown and Hath- 
erly, declared that what was done in 1643, ^7 "^^^ 
from their colony, was going beyond their author- 
ity, who had no right over Shawomet lands, and 
that the MafTachufetts had no right to do all that 
they had done in the heart of Providence colony. 
And the commiflioners from Conneclicut and 
New-Haven owned that it might be fo. This is 
all plain in their records. And Williams and 
Clarke failed from Bofton with thefe complaints 
in November, though Williams had hard work to 
get a paflage from thence, notwithftanding the 
fervices he had done for them formerly. 

When they arrived at London, each of them 
publifhed the books which I have before named ; 
and in Odober they obtained a vacation of Cod- 
dington's commiflGion, and an order for their colo- 
ny to unite again, under their former charter. 
This was brought over by William Dyre, who 
left it on Rhode Ifland, and wrote to Provi- 



S6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IV. 

dence and Warwick to come there and acl upon 
it. But as thefe two towns bad acted upon their 
charter all the while that the ifland was in confu- 
fion, they ftill remained two parties ; and there 
were many againft them in England. Edward 
Winllow, who had been Governor of Plymouth, 
and Edward Hopkins, who had been Governor of 
Connecticut, w^ere then in England. 

On April i, 1653, ^^'* Williams wrote to 
his conftituents, and faid, " The determination of 
our controverfy is hindered by two main obftruc- 
tions. The firft is the mighty v/ar with the Dutch, 
Our fecond obftru6lion is the oppolition of our ad- 
verfaries, Sir Arthur Hafelrig and Colonel Fen- 
wick, who married his daughter, Mr. Winflow, 
and Mr. Elopkins, both in great place ; and all the 
friends they can make in the Parliament and Coun- 
cil, and all the priefts, both Prefbyterian and Inde- 
pendent ; fo that we ftand as two armies ready to 
engage, obferving the motions and poilures each 
of other, and yet fhy each of other." But before 
that month was out, Cromwell difiblved the Par- 
liament, which altered things greatly ; and the 
Prefbyterians have never had fo great power in 
England fince, as they had before, 

Mr. Williams continued there another year, and 
then left Mr. Clarke their agent in England, while 
he came over to fettle affairs here. And he 
brought a letter from Sir Elenry Vane, which con- 
tained fharp reproofs for their diforders in his col- 
ony, and wife advice about removing of them. 
But Williams found it very hard w^ork to get the 
two parties together, and yet he did it ; and they 
met on September 12, 1654, and eleded him for 
their Prefident, and then voted to have him fend 
letters of thanks to their benefactors in England, 
On May 22, 1655, he was again elected Prefident 
for a year. But fome men had been fo troublefoma 



t(>55'^ ^^ NEW.ENGLANI>. 87 

among them, that a letter was procured from the 
Protector in England, which faid, 

** Gentlemen, 

" Your agent here hath reprefented unto us fome 
particulars concerning your government, which 
you judge neceffary to be fettled by us here ; but 
by reafon of other great and weighty affairs of this 
commonwealth, we have been necefiitated to defer 
the conlideration of them to a further opportunity 5 
in the mean time we are willing to let you know, 
that you were to proceed in your government ac- 
cording to the tenour of your charter, formerly 
granted on that behalf, taking care of the peace 
and fafety of thofe plantations, that neither through 
inteftine commotions or foreign invaiions, there 
do arife any detriment or difhonour to this com- 
monwealth or yourfelves, as far as you by your care 
and diligence can prevent. And as for the things 
that are before us, they fhall, as foon as other occa- 
sions will permit, receive a juit and fufficient deter- 
mination. And fo we bid you farewel, and refir, 
your loving friend, 

March 29, 1655. OLIVER P. 

To our trufty and well beloved, the Prefident, Af- 
fiftants, and inhabitants of Rhode Ifland, together 
with the reft of the Providence Plantations in the 
Narraganfet Bay in New-England.'* 

Upon receiving this, their affembly met, June 
28, and enaded, "That if any perfon or perfons be 
found by examination and judgment of a general 
court of commiffioners, to be a ringleader or ring- 
leaders of factions or divifions among us, he or they 
Ihall be fent over at his or their own charges, as 
prifoners, to receive his or their trial or fentence, 
at the pleafure of his Highnefs and the Lords of 
his council." And then all open oppolition ceafed 
in their government. And Prefident Williams 



88 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IV. 

wrote in November to the Maffachufetts about 
their oppoiition to it ; but receiving no fatisfac- 
tion, he v^^rote again in May, 1656, and faid, 

*' Honoured Sirs, our firft requeft is for your fa- 
vourable coniideration of the long and lamentable 
condition of the town of Warwick, which hath 
been thus. They are fo dangeroully and fo vexa- 
tioully intermingled with the barbarians, that I 
have long admired the wonderful power of God 
in reftraining and preventing very great fires, of 
mutual flaughters breaking forth between them. 
Your wifdoms know the inhumane infultations of 
thefe wild creatures, and you may be pleafed alfo 
to imagine, that they have not been fparing of 
your name as the patron of all their wickednefs 
againft our Englifhmen, women, and children, and 
cattle, to the yearly, damage of fixty, eighty and 
an hundred pounds. The remedy, under God, is 
only your pleafure that Pumham fliall come to an 
agreement with the town or colony, and that fome 
convenient way and time be fet for their removal. 
And that your wifdoms may fee juft grounds for 
fuch your willingnefs, be pleafed to be informed of 
a reality of a folemn covenant between this town 
of Warwick and Pumham, unto which, notwith- 
flanding he pleads his being drawn to it by the 
awe of his fuperior fachems, yet I humbly offer, 
that what was done was according to the law and 
tenour of the natives (I take it) in all New-Eng- 
land and America, viz. that the inferior fachems 
and fubjecls Ihall plant and remove at the pleafure 
of the higheft and fupreme fachems ; and I hum- 
bly conceive that it pleafeth the Moft High and 
only Wife to make ufe of fuch a bond of authority 
over them, without which they could not long 
fubfift in human focieties, in this wild condition 
wherein they are.'^ 

And he went on to remind them of the order 
of Parliament in 1646, that they fliould remove all 



t6s6.2 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 89 

obftruclions which they had put in the way of 
thofe who had purchafed the lands in Warwick, fo 
that they might freely enjoy their rights. He alfo 
defired them no longer to affume any power over 
a few perfons in Pawtuxet, and to treat their col- 
ony as a diftind government.* And his requeft 
was granted. 

The Maffachufetts were awfully requited for 
their iniquity in thefe affairs. For when they re* 
ceived Pumham as their fubject, they furnifhed 
him with arms and ammunition, for hunting ; and 
in Philip's war he joined againft the Englilh, and 
was very a<Elive in the war, and fo was his fon and 
grandfon ; and Pumham was killed within twenty 
miles of Boilon, but a few days before Philip.f 
How righteous are God's judgments ! 

The Maffachufetts were fond of comparing them- 
felves to the Ifraelites who conquered Canaan ; and 
I have recited a paffage in which Captain Johnfon 
has named feven feclaries which they were to fub- 
due, as Ifrael did the feven nations in the promifed 
land ; but as thefe are far from being parallel cafes, 
fo was the fuccefs of the two people. For the feed 
of Jacob were completely victorious, but the Maffa- 
chufetts never fubdued one of the fedls which he 
named. And a new one now arofe, who caufed 
more difgrace to them than any others had 
done. 

Out of the confufions in England, George Fox 
came forth as a zealous preacher of a new dodirine j 
and in 1650, he and his followers received the 
name of Quakers, from the trembling motions of 
their bodies, upon various occalions. They increaf- 
ed faft in England, and their fufferings animated 
them to travel far and near ; and in the fummer 
of 16^6, fome of them arrived at Bofton, where 

* Hutchinfon's Colledions, p. 279 — 282. 
t Hubbard on faid War, p. 131, 175, 176, 

M 



90 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ck.IY, 

they were confined. And when the commiffion- 
ers of the United Colonies met at Plymouth in Sep^ 
tember, they received a letter from the court at 
Boilon, which faid, " Having heard fometime fince^ 
that our neighbouring colony of PlynK)uth, our 
beloved brethren, in great part feem to be wanting 
to themfelves in a due acknowledgment and en- 
couragement of the miniflry of the gofpel, fo as 
many pious minifters have (how juftly we know 
not) *deferted their ftations, callings and relations j 
our defire is that fome fuch courfe may be taken, 
as that a pious orthodox miniftry may be reflated 
among, them, that fo the flood of errors an4 prin- 
ciples of anarchy may be prevented. Here hath arriv- 
ed amongfl us feveral perfons profefling themfelves 
Quakers, fit inftruments to propagate the kingdom 
of Satan ; for the fecuring of ourfelves and our 
neighbours from fuch pefts, we have imprifoned 
them all till they be difpatched away to the place 
from whence they came.'* And the commiflion- 
ers gave advice accordingly.f 

But fuch meafures were not taken as long as Gov^ 
ernor Bradford lived, who died on May 9, 1657, 
in his 69th year. And in June following, John 
Brown and James Cudworth, two of their AlEfl-- 
ants, were left out of ofSce, and others were cho-- 
fen, who were for more fevere meafures, though 
not equal to the MafTachufetts ; who alfo wrote 
repeatedly to the rulers of Rhode Ifland colony, to 
try to draw them into like feverity, but without 
any fuccefs. 

The Quakers held that they had a light and fpirit 
within them, which was their highefl rule of ac- 

* One of thefe was Mr. Reyner, who went from Plymouth m 
1 654, and robbed them of all their church records, fo that all 
the records they fmce have of former adings In their church, 
were coUeded from memory and private writings ; as their 
late paftor told me. And how unjuft was this ! 

f Hutchinfon*s Colledions, p. 285 — 286. 



1658.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 91 

<ion, and that the Scriptures were only a fecondary 
rule ; and that the external ufe of baptifm and the 
Lord's fupper was now out of date, and that they 
had thole ordinances inwardly and fpiritually. 
They alfo held themfelves to be infpired by the 
Spirit of God to teach a more clear and perfed 
way than men had known fmce the days of the 
apoftles, if they had not greater light than the 
apoftles had. This fpirit taught them to give no 
titles to rulers nor other men, and to ufe thee and 
ihou to all. Humphrey Norton was fcourged at 
Plymouth, in June, 1658, and then fent out of that 
colony 5 upon which lie wrote to Governor Prince, 
and faid, 

^^ Thomas Prince, thou who haft bent thy heart 
to work wickednefs, and with thy tongue haft 
thou fet forth deceit; thou imagineft mifchief up- 
on thy bed, and hatcheft thy hatred in thy fecret 
chamber ; the ftrength of darknefs is over thee, 
and a malicious mouth haft thou opened againft 
God and his anointed, and with thy tongue and 
lips haft thou uttered perverfe things ; tihou haft 
flandered the innocent by railing, lying and falfe 
accufations, and with thy barbarous heart haft 
thou caufed their blood to be fhed. Thou haft 
through all thefe things broke and tranfgrelled the 
laws and ways of God, and equity is not before thy 
eyes. The curfe eaufeiefs cannot come upon thee, 
nor the vengeance of God unjuftly cannot fetch 
thee up ; thou makeft thyfelf merry with thy fe- 
cret malice. The day of thy wailing will be like 
unto that of a woman that murthers the fruit of 
her womb ; the anguifh and pain that will enter 
upon thy reins will be like gnawing worms lodg- 
ing betwixt thy heart and liver : when thefe things 
come upon thee, and thy back bowed down with 
pain, in that day and hour thou ftialt know to thy 
grief, that prophets of the Lord God we are, and 
|he God of vengeance is our God. 

HUMPHREY NORTON,'* 



92 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IV. 

This I copied from Plymouth records, where it 
was inferted, that pofterity might know how their 
fathers were treated. And we may here alfo learn 
how fecular force ferves to inflame miflaken zeal ; 
for the various punifhments that were inflided up- 
on thofe people, caufed their zeal to rife the high- 
er, until the commiffioners of the United Colonies 
met at Bofton in September, 1658 ; and then they 
advifed each General Court to make a law to ban- 
ifh Quakers on pain of death. And fuch a law 
was made at Bofton the next month, by the ma« 
jority of one vote only ; and the other colonies 
would not follow their example. Many other 
punifhments were inflicted upon the Quakers in 
Plymouth and New-Haven colonies, but little or 
none in Connedicut. 

, On Oftober 20, 1659, William Robinfon, Mar* 
maduke Stevenfon, and Mary Dyre, were con- 
demned to die, for returning after they were ban- 
iihed on pain of death ; and the two men were 
hanged at Bofton the 27th. And though the wo- 
man was then fent away, yet fhe returned, and was 
executed June i, 1660. And on March 14, 1661, 
William Leddra was hanged there for the like 
crime. And as Charles the fecond had been reftor- 
ed to the crown of England the year before, Gov- 
ernor Endicot and his court wrote to him in De- 
cember, and faid, " Our liberty to walk in the faith 
of the gofpel, with all good confcience^ was the caufe of 
our tranfporting ourfelves, with our wives, little 
ones, and our fubftance, from that pleafant land over 
the Atlantic ocean, into this vaft wildernefs,choofing 
rather the pure Scripture worftiip with a good con- 
fcience, in this remote wildernefs among the 
heathen, than the pleafures of England with fub- 
miftion to the then fo difpofed and fo far prevailing 
hierarchy, which we could not do without an evil 
confcience. — 'Concerning the Quakers, open and 
capital blafphemers, open feducers from the glori- 



1659] OP NEW-ENGLAND. 93 

ous Trinity, the Lord Jefus Chrift, our Lord Jefus 
Chrift, the bleffed gofpel, and from the holy Scrip- 
tures as the rule of life, open enemies to the gov- 
ernment itfelf as eftabliflied in the hands of any but 
men of their own principles, malignant and affidu- 
ous promoters of doctrines diredly tending to fub- 
vert both our church and Hate, after all other 
means for a long time ufed in vain, we were at laft 
conftrained for our own fafety to pafs a fentence 
of banifhment againft them, upon pain of death. 
Such was their defperate turbulence both to relig- 
ion and date, civil and eccleliaftical, as that the 
magiftrate at laft, in confcience both to God and 
man, judged himfelf called for the defence of all, 
to keep the paffage with the point of the fword 
held towards them ; this could do no harm to him 
that would be warned thereby; their wittingly rufli- 
ing themfelves thereupon was their own act, we 
with humility conceive a crime bringing theit 
blood upon their own heads."* 

But William Robinfon had given a paper to the 
court at Bofton, in which he faid, " The word of 
the Lord came exprefsly to me, w^hich did fill me 
immediately with life and power, and heavenly 
love, by which he conftrained me, and commanded 
me to pafs to the town of Bofton, my life to lay 
down in his will, for the accompliftiing of his fer- 
vice, that he had there to perform at the day ap- 
pointed." And Marmaduke Stevenfon gave them 
another paper, in which he faid, " The word of the 
Lord came unto me, faying. Go to Bofton, with 
thy brother William Robinfon. "f 

Thus it appears, that both fides pleaded a confci- 
entious obedience to God, in their adings againft 
each other. And from hence we may fee, that the 
life of force in religious affairs is a bloody pradke. 

* Hutchinfon's CoUedions, p. 326, 327. 
f Bifhop, p. 127—133. 



54 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V. 

And though king Charles put a flop to their hang- 
ing any more here, yet he faid, " We cannot be 
underftood hereby to dired or wifli that any in- 
dulgence fhould be granted to thofe perfons com- 
monly called C)uakers, whofe principles being in- 
confiftent with any kind of government, we have 
found it necelTary, with the advice of our Parlia- 
ment here, to make a Iharp law againft them, and 
are well content you do the like there.''* And 
many more Diffenters died in prifon in his reign, 
than the bloody queen Mary burnt at the ftake* 
Open executions were now become more odious to 
the people, than in former days of ignorance and 
fuperftition ; while private cruelty was borne with, 
or little regarded. But the vengeance of God will 
reach the moft fecret criminals, as well as the moft 
open murderers. 



CHAP, Vo 



Contention about haptif?n.-—Two Baptifi: churches formed^ 
"^That at Bojion is perfecuted three years ^ and then 
three of them were banifhed,- — But many are for them 
here^ and clear letters are written in their favour from 
flngland. — After they had been confined a year^ they 
were releafedfrom prifon, — Injufiice about Providence 
colony expofed. — And they at laft prevaiL-^-WilUams 
difputes and writes againft the fakers, — A divifion 
in Bofton church ^^—Clarke^s faith, and his joyful end^ 

V V E ftiall now return to the affairs of baptifm. 
They who fuppofed that each believer ftood in the 
fame relation to his children, as Abraham did to his 
in the covenant of circumcifion, brought none to 
baptifm but the infants of communicants in their 
churches. But as thofe infants grew up and ha4 

* Hutchinfon's Collection?, p. 379. 



1 662.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 95 

children, and yet were not communicants thenrw 
felves, a great trial came on to know what would 
become of fucceeding generations. A convention 
of minifters met in 1657, and anfwered twenty-one 
queftions upon the fubjed, and had them printed 
in London. But as this did not relieve them, 
another convention was called at Bofton in 1659, 
and a fynod in 1662, who introduced a half way 
covenant, fo that they who would own it, and 
were regular in their lives, might have their chih 
dren fprinkled, without coming to the ordinance of 
the fupper themfelves. This was pleaiing to many^ 
while others thought it to be an apoftacy from the 
firfl principles of the country ; and the controver- 
fy about it, in various Ihapes, has continued ever 
fince. 

The firft Baptift church in Wales was formed 
near Swanfea in that country in 1649, Mr. John 
Miles was their chief leader, and they increafed to 
about three hundred members, by the year 1662, 
when he was ejected out of his place, by a cruel a6fc 
of Parliament, which turned two thoufand teachers 
out of their places in one day, for refuiing fully to 
conform to the church of England. He then came 
over, with the book of church records which he 
had kept there, and it remains in our Swanfea to 
this day. And at the houfe of John Butterworth 
in Rehoboth, in 1663, John Miles,, elder, James 
Brown, Nicholas Tanner, Jofeph Carpenter, John 
Butterworth, Eldad Kingfley, and Benjamin Alby, 
folemnly covenanted together as a church of Chrift, 
to obey him in all his ordinances and command- 
ments. They were in Plymouth colony, where 
they had ever enjoyed much more liberty than any 
had in the Maffachufetts. Mr. Brown was fon to 
John Brown, who had long been a magiftrate in 
that colony, and his fon ferved them afterwards in 
that office for eleven years, in a time when his 
brethren in the Maffachufetts were fined, imprifon- 



g6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V- 

ed and banifhed. Indeed Mr. Miles and his church 
were complained of to court, for holding their 
meetings in Rehoboth, where was a Congregation- 
al church, and a fmall fine was impofed upon them 
for it. But in 1667, the court granted them the 
town of Swanfea, where the church has continued 
by fucceffion ever iince, and is the fourth Baptift 
church in America. 

The fifth was formed in the Maflachufetts. The 
light that was gained in 1653, when Prefident 
Dunftar preached againft infant baptifm in Cam- 
bridge, caufed Thomas Gould, who lived near him 
in Charleflown, to examine the matter fo much, 
that when he had a child born in 1655, he could 
not bring it to be fprinkled. For this he was call- 
ed before the church in Charleftown, and he told 
them that he could fee no light for infant baptifm, 
and therefore could not in confcience bring his child 
to it. Upon this, minifters, rulers and brethren la- 
boured with him, but could not convince him. He 
was ilill willing to commune with that church, if they 
would let him do it without carrying his child to an 
ordinance, which he had no faith in ; and he read that 
whatfoever is not of faith is fin. And becaufeof this, 
and alfo his going out of meeting when they fprin- 
kled infants, they cenfured him in their church, 
and punifhed him in their courts for more than 
feven years. At length three Baptift brethren 
came over from England, recommended from 
churches there, and met with him and others in 
private houfes. And on May 28, 1665, Thomas 
Gould, Thomas Ofborne, Edward Drinker, John 
George, Richard Goodale, William Turner, Ro- 
bert Lambert, Mary Goodale, and Mary Newell, 
**= joined in a folemn covenant, in the name of the 
Lord Jefus Chrift, to walk in fellowfhip and com- 
munion together in the practice of all the holy ap- 
pointments of Chrift, which he had, or Ihould fur- 
ther make known unto them/' 



1 655.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 97 

Goodale came from London, and Turner and 
Lambert from Dartmouth ; the others were of 
our country, though none of them were church 
members before, but Gould and Ofburne, both of 
Charlellown ; from whence they were excommu- 
nicated, after they were baptized. Thefe fadts I 
gathered from their records and writings. They 
were of fuch a peaceable difpofition, and fo far 
from difturbing others, as the Quakers did, that 
their rulers hardly knew where to find them. But 
on Auguft 20, 1665, Richard RulTel, one of their 
magiftrates, iffued a warrant to the conflable of 
Charleftown, requiring him in his Majefly's name, 
to labour to difcover where thefe people v/ere, and 
to require them to attend on the eftabliihed wor- 
fliip, or if they would not, to return their names 
and places of abode to the next magiftrate. This 
was done, and fome of them were brought before 
their court of Aififtants in September, to whom 
they prefented a confeilion of their faith, in which 
they faid, " Chrift's commiilion to his difciples is to 
teach and baptize, and thofe who gladly receive 
the word and are baptized, are fit matter for a 
vifible church." But this was loudly complained 
of, as implying that none were vifible faints, who 
were not baptized by immerfion ; though they 
held that they ought to be vifible faints before they 
were baptized. Thus men turn things upfide down. 
And the court of Ailiflants charged them to defiii 
from their pradice ; and becaufe they did not, 
Gould, Turner, Ofburne, Drinker and George, 
were brought before their General Court in Odto- 
ber, to whom they prefented their confeilion of 
faith, and clofed with faying, " If any take this to 
be herefy, then do we with the apoftle confefs, 
that after the way which they call herefy, we wor- 
fhip God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifi:, be- 
lieving all things that are written in the law and 
the prophets and apoftles." 

N 



98 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V. 

But the Court called this a contemning af their 
authority and laws, and declared them to benolawful 
church airembly,and faid, "Such of them as are free- 
men are to be disfranchifed, and all of them, upon 
convidlion before any one Magiftrate or Court, of 
their further proceeding herein, to be committed 
to prifon until the General Court fliall take further 
order with them." Dr. Mather tries to vindicate 
the Court herein, becaufe the Baptiils aded againft 
the law of the government ; but a noted Prefby- 
terian minifter fays, " This condemns all the dif- 
fenting congregations that have been gathered in 
England, lince the ad of uniformity in the year 
1662." And fays he, " Let the reader judge, who 
had mofl reafon to complain ; the New-Eng- 
land churches, who would neither fufFer the Bap^ 
tifts to live quietly in their communion, nor fepa- 
rate peaceably from it ; or thefe unhappy perfons, 
who were treated fo unkindly for following the 
light of their confciences.'^* 

Yet for following that light, they purfued them 
with fines and imprifonment, for three years ; and 
then the court of Affiftants appointed a meeting at 
Bofton, April 14, 1668, and called fix minifl:ers ta 
manage a difpute whether thofe perfons ought not 
to be banifhed, for holding a feparate meeting from 
their churches. And they fent a warrant to Thorn* 
as Gould, which faid, " You are required in his 
majefty's name to give notice to John Farnum, 
Thomas Ofburne, and the company, and you and 
they are alike required to give your attendance, at 
the time and place above mentioned, for the end 
therein exprefled." And as this was heard of at 
Newport, Mr. Clarke and his church fent William 
Hifcox, Jofeph Tory, and Samuel Hubbard, to af- 
fift their brethren, and they got to Bofton three 
days before the difpute. And it was carried on 

* Magnalia, B. 7. p. 27. Neal on New-England, vol, t 
P-304>305- 



1 668.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 99 

two days by thofe minifters, with allowing the Bap- 
tifts but little liberty to fpeak for themfelves ; and 
it was clofed by Mr. Mitchel, with the words of 
Mofes, who faid to Ifrael, If there arife a matter too 
hard for thee in judgment, between blood and 
blood, between plea and plea, and between ftroke 
and ftroke, being matters of controverfy within 
thy gates ; then flialt thou arife, and get thee up 
into the place which the Lord thy God fhall 
choofe ; and thou fhalt come unto the priefts the 
Levites, and unto the judge that fliall be in thofe 
days, and inquire ; and they fliall fliew thee the fen- 
tence of judgment : and thou ftialt do according to 
the fentence, which they of that place, which the 
Lord fliall choofe, fliall fliew thee ; and thou flialt 
obferve to do according to all that they inform 
thee ^ according to the fentence of the law which 
they fliall teach thee, and according to the judg- 
inent which they fliall tell thee, thou flialt do ; 
thou flialt not decline from the fentence which 
they fliall fhew thee, to the right hand nor the left. 
And the man that will do prefumptuoufly, and will 
not hearken unto the prieil (that ftandeth there be- 
fore the Lord thy God) or unto the judge, even 
that man fliall dLe ; and thou flialt put away the 
evil from Ifrael. Deut. xvii. 8 — 12. 

Thus the fentence that was given from the law 
of God, in the place he chofe, under the direclion 
of the Urim and Thummim, was applied to the fen- 
tence of rulers and minifters at Bofton, according 
to the laws of men. That they then applied this 
fcripture in this manner, appears from their colony 
records, compared with the writings of Samuel 
Hubbard and Mr. Gould. And thirty years after, 
Mr. Stoddard brought the fame fcripture to prove, 
that all men ought to fubmit to a national fynod, 
as I fliall prove hereafter. 

Their General Court in May called thofe Baptifts 
before them, to know whether they were convinq^ 



100 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.V. 

ed of their evil in withdrawing from their 
churches, by what faid minifters had laid before 
them ; but they declared that they were not at all 
convinced of any evil in fo doing. The Court 
then called them obftinate Anabaptifts, whom they 
were bound in confcience to proceed againft ; and 
gave fentence that Thomas Gould, William Turn- 
er and John Farnum, fliould be gone out of their 
jurifdidion by the 20th of July, not to return 
again without their leave. And as Gould was 
then a prifoner, by the fentence of a former Court, 
he was liberated from thence, in order that he 
might obey this fentence. Mr. Mitchel, who read 
off faid fcripture againft them, died fuddenly, elev- 
en days before the time fet in their fentence of 
baniftiment ; but this gave no relief to thefe fufFer- 
ers. And becaufe they did not obey their fentence, 
thefe three men were imprifoned in Bofton for 
near or quite a year. 

How any who feared God, could go on to aft 
againft others, as thefe rulers and minifters did, 
may feem very ftrange in our days ; but a careful 
fearch into their hiftory will open the caufe of it, 
Mr. Wilfon, the firft minifter of Bofton, was in 
great efteem with other minifters, who came 
round him in May paft, and defired him to give 
his dying teftimony of what he conceived to be the 
caufe of the difpleafure of God againft this coun- 
try. He told them that he had long feared the 
following fins as chief among others, which pro- 
voked God greatly. " i. Separation. 2. Ana- 
baptifm. 3. Corahifm, when people rife up as 
Corah, againft their minifters or elders, as if 
they took too much upon them, when indeed 
they do but rule for Chrift, and according to 
Chrift. 4. Another fin I take to be, the making 
light of, and not fubjeding to the authority of fy- 
nods."* Thefe things he delivered as his dying 
* Morton, p. 195, 196. 



166S.2 ' OF NEW-ENGLAND. loi 

teftimony ; and he died Auguft 7, 1668, juft after 
thofe Baptifts were put in prifon there. No 
one can ealily tell how great impreflion fuch things 
had upon their minds. Indeed fome were of a 
different opinion, and when their General Court 
met i,n the fall, they prefented a petition in favour 
of thofe fufferers, and faid, " We humbly befeech 
this honoured Court, in their Chriftian mercy and 
bowels of compaffion, to pity and relieve thefe 
poor prifoners ; whofe fufferings are doubtful to 
many, and fome of great worth among ourfelves, 
and grievous to the hearts of God's people at home 
and abroad. Your wifdoms may be pleafed to 
think of fome better expedient, and ferioufly to 
confider whether an indulgence, juftifiable by the 
word of God, pleaded for and pradifed by Con- 
gregational churches, may not, in this day of fuf- 
fering to the people of God, be more efFeclual, 
fafe and inoffenfive than other ways, which are al- 
ways grievous, and feldom find fuccefs.'' And 
they fpoke highly of the good lives of thofe Bap- 
tifts, as another plea in their favour. Captain 
Hutchinfon, Captain Oliver, and many others 
ligned this petition ; but fome were fined for it, 
and others were compelled to confefs their fault, 
for reflecting upon the court. But Deputy-Gov- 
ernor Willoughby was againft thefe proceedings.* 
An account of thefe things was fent to England, 
and a letter from thence to Captain Oliver faid, 

My dear Brother^ 
The ardent affeclion and great honours that I 
have for New-England tranfport me, and I hope 
your churches Ihall ever be to me as the gates of 
heaven. I have ever been warmed with the ap- 
prehenfion of the grace of God towards me in car- 
rying me thither. But now it is otherwife ; with 
joy to ourfelves and grief to you be it fpoken. 

* Hutchinfon, vol. L p. 227, 269. 






102 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V. 

Now the greater my love is to New-England, the 
more am I grieved at their failings. It is frequent- 
ly faid here, that they are fwerved aiide towards 
Prefbytery ; if fo, the Lord reftore them all. But 
another fad thing that much afFecls us is, to hear 
that you even in New-England perfecute your 
brethren ; men found in the faith ; of holy life ; 
agreeing in worftiip and difcipline with you ; on- 
ly differing in the point of baptifm. Dear broth- 
er, we here do love and honour them, hold familiar- 
ity with them, and take fweet counfel together ; 
they lie in the bofom of Chrift, and therefore they 
ought to be laid in our bofoms. In a word, we 
freely ^dmit them into churches ; few of our 
churches, but many of our members are Anabap- 
tifts ; I mean baptized again. This is love in Eng- 
land ; this is moderation ; this is a right NewTefta- 
xnent fpirit. But do you now bear with, yea 
more than bear with the Prefbyterlans ? Yea, and 
that the worft fort of them, thofe who are the 
corrupteft, rigideft ; whofe principles tend to cor- 
rupt the churches ; turning the world into the 
church, and the church into the world ; and which 
doth no lefs than to bring a people under mere 
flavery. It is an iron yoke, which neither we nor 
our Con2:Fe2:ational brethren in Scotland were ever 
able to hear. 1 have heard them utter thefe words 
in the pulpit, that it is no wrong to make the Inde- 
pendents leli all they have, and depart the land ; 
and many more things I might meiuion of that 
kind ; but this I hint only, to iliew what caufe 
there is to withftand that wicked tyr inny which 
was once fet up in poor miferable Scotland, which 
I verily believe was a great wrong and injury to 
the reformation. The generality of them here, 
even to this day, will not freely confent to our en^ 
joyment of our liberty ; though through mercy 
the befl and mofl reformed of them do otherwife. 
How much therefore would it concern dear N^Wt 



1569] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 103 

England to turn the edge againft thofe who, if not 
prevented, will certainly corrupt and enflave, not 
only their own, but alfo your churches ? Whereas 
Anabaptifts are ijeither fpirited nor principled to 
injure nor hurt your government nor your liber- 
ties 5 but rather thefe be the means to preferve 
your churches from apoftacy^ and to provoke 
them to their primitive purity, as they were in the 
firft planting ; in admiffion of members to receive 
none into your churches but vifible faints, and in 
reftoring the entire jurifdiclion of every congrega- 
tion complete and undifturbed. We are hearty 
and full for our Prefbyterian brethren's equal liber- 
ty with ourfelves ; oh that they had the fame fpir- 
it towards us ! But oh how it grieves and affects 
us, that New-England fhould perfecute ! Will you 
not give what you take ? Is liberty of confcience 
your due ? And is it not as due unto others who 
are found in the faith ? Amongft many fcriptures, 
that in the fourteenth of Romans much confirms 
me in liberty of confcience thus ftated. To him 
that efteemeth any thing unclean, to him it is un- 
clean. Therefore though we approve of the bap- 
tifm of the immediate children of church mem- 
bers, and of their admiffion into the church when 
they evidence a real work of grace; yet to thofe 
who in confcience believe the faid baptifm to be 
unclean, it is unclean. Both that and mere ruling 
elders, though we approve of them, yet our 
grounds are mere interpretations of, and not any 
exprefs fcripture. I cannot fay fo clearly of any 
thing clfe in our religion, neither as to faith or 
pra(5lice. Now muft we force our interpretations 
upon others, pope like ? How do you caft a reproach 
upon us who are congregational in England, and 
furnifh our adverfaries with weapons againft us i 
We blulh and are filled with fhame and confufion 
of face, when we hear of thefe things. Dear 
brother, we pray that God w^ould open your eyes. 



X04 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V. 

and perfuade the hearts of your magiftrates, that 
they may no more fmite their fellow fervants, nor 
thus greatly injure us their brethren, and that they 
may not thus difhonour the name of God. My 
dear brother, pardon me, for I am afFeded ; I 
fpeak for God, to whofe grace I commend you all 
in New-England ; and humbly craving your 
prayers for us here, and remain your affedionatc 
brother, 

ROBERT MASCALL." 
Finfbury, near Morefield, 
March 25, 1669. 

This was copied by Mr. Samuel Hubbard, from 
whence I took it. Dr. Goodwin, Dr. Owen, and 
ten other minifters wrote to the Maffachufetts rul- 
ers the fame day, in a moving manner, and faid, 
" We are fure you would be unwilling to put an 
advantage into the hands of fome, who feek pre- 
tences and occafions againft our liberty, and to re- 
inforce the former rigour. Now we cannot deny 
but this hath already in fome meafure been done, 
!n that it hath been vogued, that perfons of your 
way, principles and fpirit, cannot bear with diiTen- 
ters from them. And as this greatly reflects upon 
us, fo fome of us have obferved how already it has 
turned to your own difadvantage.'* Yet Dr. 
Mather fays, " I cannot 'fay that this excellent let- 
ter had immediately all the elFed it fhould have 
had."'* So that they were imprifoned about a 
year, becaufe they would not voluntarily go out 
of that jurifdidlion. And the year after, fix mag- 
iftrates gave a warrant to take up Gould and Turn- 
er again, and Turner was actually put in prifon up- 
on the old fentence, and lay there a long time ; 
but Gould went and lived and preached upon 
Noddle's iiland in the harbour, where they did not 

* Magnalia, B. 7. p 27, 28. 



i66g2 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 105 

purfue him. For a great many rulers and others 
abhorred fuch condud. But we muil now take a 
review of other things. 

When the rulers of the Maffachufetts yielded 
to the order of Parliament about Warwick, they 
were far from giving up their deiigns upon the 
lands in Providence colony. They claimed much 
of the weft part of it, becaufe of the Pequot con- 
queft ; and in 1657 and 1658, they fent men and 
got deeds of much land in the heart of the Narra- 
ganfet country. The Narraganfet Indians were al- 
fo fo uneafy about the death of their great fachem 
Miantenimo, that they often attempted to revenge 
his death, but were overpowered by forces fent, 
once and again, from the MalTachufetts ; and in 
1 660, they compelled thofe Indians to mortgage all 
their lands to them, for what they faid was due to 
the Maffachufetts. And becaufe two Baptift breth- 
ren, Tobias Sanders and Robert Burdick, went to 
work upon lands which they had procured from 
their government in V/efterly, they were imprif- 
oned by the MalTachufetts in 1662, who then 
wrote to the rulers of Providence colony about it, 
as appears by the records of both colonies. In the 
mean time, Mr. Winthrop went over to England, 
and obtained a charter, dated April 23, 1662, 
which united Connecticut and New-Haven in one 
colony. Their eaftern boundary was defcribed to 
be " By the Narraganfet river, commonly called 
Narraganfet Bay, where faid river falleth into 
the fea." And by this general defcription 
they claimed the Narraganfet country. For 
when the commiilioners of the United colonies 
met at Bofton in September, they wrote to the ru- 
lers of Providence colony, and mentioned this 
charter to Connecticut, which they faid, " Grant- 
ed the lands at Pawcatuck and Narraganfet, which 
we hope will prevail with you to require and caufe 
your people to withdraw themfelves^ and defift 
from further difturbance." 

O 



io6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V. 

Now they fhould have remembered, that in 1643, 
they interpreted the Narraganfet river, the wefterii 
boundary of Plymouth colony, fo as to include the 
lands where Gorton was fettled ; and all that the 
MalTachufetts did to him was founded upon that in- 
terpretation, which fuppofed Pawcatuck to be the 
weftern boundary of Plymouth colony. Yet now 
they would claim all the Narraganfet country by 
Connedlicut charter. What great blindnefs was 
here ! And it was foon difcovered by the charter 
which Mr. Clark procured for his colony, dated 
July 8, 1 66^^ which faid, " Pawcatuck river fhall be 
alfo called, alias, Narraganfet river ; and to prevent 
future difputes that otherwife might arife thereby 
forever hereafter, fhall be conftrued, deemed and 
taken to be the Narraganfet river, in the late grant 
to Connecticut colony, mentioned as the eaftward- 
ly bounds of that colony." Yet they were fo refo- 
lute that it fliould not be fo, that they propofed to 
fend an agent over to England, to get that line al- 
tered. Upon which Mr. Williams wrote to Con- 
nedicut rulers, and faid, 

" It looks like a prodigy or monfter, that coun- 
trymen among favages in a wildernefs ; that pro- 
feifors of God and one Mediator, of an eternal life, 
and that this is like a dream, Ihould not be con- 
tent with thofe vaft large tracls which all the other 
colonies have (like platters and tables full of dain- 
ties) but pull and fnatch away their poor neigh- 
bour's bit or cruft ; and a cruft it is, and a dry hard 
one too, becaufe of the natives continual troubles, 
trials and vexations." And as to claims from the 
Pequot conqueft,. he faid, " Having ocular knowl- 
edge of perfons, places, and tranfaclions, I did hon- 
eftly and confcientioufly, as in the holy prefence of 
God, draw up from Pawcatuck river, which I then 
believed and ftill do is free from all Englifli claims 
and conquefts. For although there were fome Pe- 
quots on this fide the river, who by reafon of fome 



1670.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 107 

fachem's marriages with fome on this fide, lived in 
a kind of neutrality with both fides ; yet upon the 
breaking out of the war, they relinquifhed their 
land to the poffeflion of their enemies the Narragan- 
fets and Nyanticks, and their land never came in- 
to the condition of the lands on the other fide, 
which the Englifli by conqueft challenged : fo that 
I mufl affirm, as in God's holy prefence, I tenderly 
•waved to touch a foot of land in v^hich I knew tlie 
Pequot wars were maintained, and were properly 
Pequot, being a gallant country. And from Paw* 
catuck river hitherward, being but a patch of 
ground, full of troublefome inhabitants, I did, as I 
judged inoffeniively, draw our poor and inconlider- 
able line." And he fays of their fecond charter, 
*' Mr, Winthrop, upon fome miilake, had intrench- 
ed upon our line, and it is faid upon the lines of 
other charters alfo ; but upon Mr. Clarke's com- 
plaint, your grant was called in again, and it had 
never been returned, but upon a report that the 
agents, Mr. Winthrop and Mr. Clarke, were agreed 
by mediation of friends ; and it is true they came 
to a folemn agreement under hands and feals, 
which agreement was never violated on our part.*** 
This letter was dated June 22, 1670. And 
though the cafe w^as not then carried again to Eng- 
land, yet this line was not fettled in fifty years af- 
ter. But in 1720, Governor Jenks was fent over 
as agent upon this controverfy, and it was fettled 
in 1729, the line to be Pawcatuck river. And in 
1 74 1, their eafterly line was fettled, which gave 
their colony Littlecompton, Tiverton, Briilol, War- 
ren, Barrington, and Cu^t)erland, which they had 
not enjoyed before. Thus all the lands, and all 
the liberties that were a&ed for by Mr. Williams 
and Mr. Clarke, were finally obtained in that col- 
ony, though others exerted all their powers againft 

* Hlftorical Society, vol. i. p. 278 — 280. 



io8 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V, 

it. And thefe things give great encouragennent 
to all who may come after us, to perfeverance ia 
right ways, and a warning againft all injuflice and 
oppreffion. 

Mr. Williams had alfo another difficulty now to 
encounter, in which he was fuccelsful. Tl^ough 
Mr. Coddington, and other men of note, fubmit- 
ted to his government in 1656, yet as they foon 
joined with the Quakers, they refufed to be adlive 
in that government. Their plea was, that they 
were obliged in confcience to refrain from taking 
any oath. Therefore the form of an engagement 
to the government was enacled for them in 1665, 
which it was hoped they would take ; but in 
March, 1666, they objeded againft it, and prevail- 
ed with their Affembly to make a law to allow them 
to make their fubmJffion in their own words, either 
before the court or before two magiftrates. And 
then they were as fond of being rulers as any men, 
and Mr. Nicholas Eafton was Governor in 1672 and 
^']2)'i ^^^ Mr. Coddington in 1674 and ^75, who 
were then Quakers. And as Williams believed 
that their principles were hurtful to government, 
as well as dangerous to the fouls of men, and 
George Fox and other teachers of theirs were come 
over, he wrote fourteen propoiitions upon the fub^ 
jed, and fent them to Newport, propofing to Fox 
or his friends, to hold a difpute upon feven of 
them at Newport, and upon the other feven at 
Providence, upon any days that they fhould ap- 
point. Fox then failed for England, but John 
Stubs, John Burnyeat, and William Edmpndfon 
undertook it ; and Williams held a difpute with 
them in Auguft, 1672, three days at Newport, and 
one at Providence. And he wrote a large account 
of it, which was printed at Cambridge, 1676 ; and 
foon after it came out, feveral of the Quakers were 
left out of office. Upon this, Mr. Coddington fent 
the book oyer to Fox, with a bitter letter agjainft 



1672.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 109 

Williams, and he with Burnyeat wrote a reply, 
which they called, " A New-England firebrand 
quenched." And it was printed in England, in 
1678. 

Mr. Williams dedicated his book to them, where- 
in he faid, " From my childhood, now above three- 
icore years, the Father of lights and mercies touch- 
ed my foul with the love of himfelf, to his only 
begotten Son, the true Lord Jefus, to his holy 
Scriptures, &c. His infinite wifdom hath given 
me to fee the city, court and country, the fchools 
and univerfities of my native country, to converfe 
with fome Turks, Jews, Papifls, and all forts of 
Proteftants ; and by books to know the affairs and 
religions of all countries. My conclufion is, that 
Be of good cheer ^ thy Jim are forgiven ihee. Mat. ix. 2, 
is one of the joyfulleft founds that ever came to 
poor finful ears. How to obtain this found from 
the mouth of the Mediator who fpoke it, is the 
greateft difpute between the Proteftants and the 
bloody whore of Rome ; and this is alfo the great- 
eft point between the Proteftants and yourfelves, 
as alfo, in order to this, about what the true Lord 
Jefus Chrift is.'^ 

They were fo much upon what Chrift did with- 
in them, that he fays George Fox, in a former book, 
** cannot endure to hear the word hunian^ as being 
a new name and never heard of in Scripture. 
Fox knows, that if Chrift Jefus be granted to have 
had fuch a foul and body as is human or common 
to man, down falls their Dagon before the ark of 
God, viz. their idol of a Chrift called light within 
them."* To which it was anfwered, " There is no 
fuch word that calleth Chrift's body and foul hm 
man ; and whether is Chrift's body celeftial or ter^ 
reftrial.^'t 

And this opinion prevailed fo much at Newport, 
that Mr. Clarke and his church, after much labour, 

* Williams, p. 51. _ -j- Fox, p. 43. 



110 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.V. 

excluded three men and two women from their 
communion, Oclober i6, 1673, ^^^ holding " That 
the man Chrifl Jefus was not now in heaven nor 
earth, nor any where elfe, but that his body was 
entirely loft." This Mr. Comer fays he took from 
their records. Such was their language then, let 
it be altered ever fo much fmce. And as to gov- 
ernment. Fox publifhed a book in 1659, in which 
he faid, " that the magiftrate of Chrift, the help 
government for him, he is in the light and power 
of Chrift ; and he is to fubjecl all under the power 
of Chrift, into his light, elfe he is not a faithful 
magiftrate ; and his laws are agreeable, and an- 
fwerable according to that of God in every man/'* 
Williams brought this to prove that their fpirit was 
arbitrary and perfecuting ; but Fox faid, " Is there 
one word of perfecution here ? or* can Roger Wil- 
liams think himfelf a Chriftian, and look upon it 
to be perfecution, for Chrift's magiftrates by 
Chrift's light and power, to fubjed: all under the 
power of Chrift, and to bring all into this light of 
Chrift ? or can he think fuch an one an unfaithful 
magiftrate ? or are thofe laws, and the execution 
of them perfecution, that are agreeable and an- 
fwerabie to that of God in every man ? Thefe are 
George Fox's words. Such magiftrates, fuch laws, 
fuch power and light and fubjedion, is George Fox 
for, and no other.'*! 

And as two women had appeared as naked as 
they were born, before many people, the one at 
Saletn and the other at Newbury, and had been 
whipt for it, which George Bilhop called perfecu- 
tion, Williams mentioned it, and that he thought 
perfons muft be bewitched to call this perfecution. 
But Fox faid, " We do believe thee, in that darkj 
perfecuting, bloody fpirit, that thou and the New- 
England priefts are bewitched in, you cannot be^ 

* Williams, p. 2Q7, 208. f Fox, p. 229, 230^ 



1673.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. iix 

lieve that you are naked from God and his cloth- 
ing, and blind ; and therefore hath the Lord in his 
power moved fome of his fons and daughters to go 
naked ; yea, they did tell them in OLivtR's days, 
and the long Parliament's, that God would flrip 
them of their church profelTion and of their pow- 
er, as naked as they were. And fo they were true 
prophets and prophetefles to the nation, as many 
fober men have confefled iince ; though thou and 
the old perfecuting priefts in New-England remain 
in your blindnefs and nakednefs."* 

And through their book they called him a cruel 
perfecutor for difputing againft their principles 
and behaviour, while he abhorred the ufe of any 
force againft them on that account. And having 
obtained his end in the difpute, he never troubled 
them or himfelf any more about it. 

But the difpute about baptifm was again 
brought up in the Maffachufetts. Mr. John Dev- 
enport had publifhed his teftimony againft the re- 
fult of the fynod of 1662, which allowed perfons to 
bring their children to baptifm, who were not fit 
to come to the Lord's fupper themfelves ; and as a 
majority of the firft church in Bofton were of his 
mind, they obtained him for their paftor, foon after 
Mr. Wilfon died. But a minor part of the church 
were for the new fcheme, and they feparated from 
the majority, pleading that Mr. Devenport had no 
right to leave his people at New-Haven, in order to 
be a minifter in Bofton. And in May, 1669, a 
number of minifters affifted in forming the minor 
party into another church ; and in July Governor 
Bellingham called his council together, fearing, he 
faid, " A fudden tumult, fome perfons attempting 
to fet up an edifice for public worftiip, which he 
apprehended to be detrimental to the public peace.'* 
But the majority of his council voted to let them 

* Fox, p. 9. 



112 A CHURCH HISTORY ^Ch, \\ 

go on ; though a hot contention about it continu- 
ed through the year. And in May, 1 670, the houfe 
of Reprefentatives chofe a committee to inquire 
into the caufes of God's difpleafure againft this 
land ; and they reported that they were, " declen- 
fion from the primitive foundation work, innova- 
tions in dodrine and worfhip, opinion and practice ; 
an invalion of the rights, liberties and privileges of 
churches, an ufurpation of a lordly and prelatical 
power over God's heritage, fubverfion of gofpel or- 
der, &c." And the acting of the minifters who 
formed faid new church they called, " irregular, 
illegal, and diforderly.'* But of fifty members who 
were in their next houfe, there were but twenty of 
thefe ; and they declared againft what the others 
had done.* Such was the influence of minifters 
in that day. And in May, 1682, Edward Randolph, 
who was trying to get away their charter, wrote to 
England, and faid, " there was a great difference 
betwixt the old church and the members of the new 
church, about baptifm and their members joining 
. In full communion with either church : This was 
fo high that there was imprifoning of parties and 
great difturbances ; but now, hearing of my pro- 
pofals for minifters to be fent over, they are now 
joined together, about a fortnight ago, and pray to 
God to confound the devices of all who difturb 
their peace and liberties."t That new church is 
lince called the Old South. 

Whilft Mr. Clarke was in England, a new Bap- 
tift church was formed out of the firft church in 
Newport, holding to the laying on of hands upon 
every member after baptifm, about the year 1656, 
which was the third Baptift church in America, and 
is ftill continued by fucceffton. And as other col- 
onies were then trying to draw his colony into vi- 

* Hutchinfon, vol. i. p. 272 — 274. 
f His Colle(5lions, p. 532. 



1673.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 113 

olent meafures againft the Quakers, the Legiflature 
of Rhode Ifland colony wrote to Mr. Clarke and 
faid, " We have found, not only your ability and 
diligence, but alfo your love and care to be fuch 
concerning the welfare and profperity of this col- 
ony, fince you have been entrufted with the more 
public affairs thereof, furpafling the no fmall bene- 
fit which we had of your prefence here at home, 
that we in all ftraits and incumbrances, are em- 
boldened to repair to you for further and continu- 
ed care, counfel and help ; finding that your folid 
and Chriftian demeanor hath gotten no fmall inter. 
eft in the hearts of our fuperiors, thofe noble and 
worthy fenators, with whom you had to do in our 
behalf, as it hath conftantly appeared in our adf 
dreffes to them, we have by good and comfortable 
proof found, having had plentiful experience there- 
of." And fo they went on to entreat him to ufc 
all his influence in their favour, that they might 
not be compelled to perfecute the Quakers, and he 
fucceedcd therein. This was dated, November 5, 
1658, the month after the law was made at Bofton 
to baniih them on pain of death. 

Mr. Clarke continued their agent in England, 
until he obtained the charter from the king which 
I mentioned before, to procure which he mortgag- 
ed his farm in Newport, willing to venture his ef- 
tate in fo good a caufe. He came over to New- 
port in 1664, and their affembly voted to pay him 
for all his expenfes, in obtaining their charter and 
other ways, and to give him a confiderable reward 
for his fervices ; but it was a long time before they 
paid him only for his expenfes in their fervice. 

From that time he continued the paftor of the 
firft church in Newport, until he died in peace. A 
fmall church was formed out of that, in December, 
1671, holding to the feventh day fabbath, which 
yet continues* This made the fixtk Baptift church 

P 



114 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.V. 

in America. Mr. Clarke left a confeffion of his 
faith in writing, in which he faid, 

" The decree of God is that whereby he hath 
from eternity fet down with himfelf what Ihall 
come to pafs in time, Eph. i. 1 1. All things, with 
their caufes, effc^ls, circumftances, and manner of 
being, are decreed by God. Acts ii. 23. Him be- 
ing delivered by the determinate counfel and fore- 
knowledge of God, &c. Acis iv. 28. This decree is 
moft wife. Rom. xi. 23- Moft juft. Rom. ix. 13, 
14. Eternal. Ep. i. 4, 5. 2 Theff. ii.13. Neceffary. 
Pfalm xxxiii. 1 1 . Prov. xix. 2 1 . Unchangeable. 
Heb. vi. 17. Mod free. Rom. ix. 18. And the 
caufe of all good. James i. 1 7. But not of any fin. 

1 John i. 5. The fpecial decree of God concern- 
ing angels and men is called predeftination. Rom. 
viii. 30. Of the former, viz. angels, little is fpok- 
en in the holy Scriptures ; of the latter more is re- 
vealed, not unprofitable to be known. It may be 
defined the wife, free, juft, eternal and unchangea- 
ble fentence or decree of God, determining to cre- 
ate and govern men for his fpecial glory, viz. the 
praife of his glorious mercy andjuftice. Rom. ix. 
17, 18. and xi. 36. Eledion is the decree of God, 
of his free love, grace and mercy, chooiing fomc 
men to faith, holinefs, and eternal life, for the 
praife of his glorious mercy, i TheiT. i. 4. 2 TheJQT. 
ii. 13. Rom. viii. 29, 30. The caufe which mov- 
ed the Lord to eled them who are chofen was none 
other but his mere good will and pleafure. Luke 
xii. 32. The end is the manifeftation of the riches 
of his grace and mercy. Rom. ix. 23^ Eph. i. 6. 
The fending of Chrill, faith, holinefs and eternal 
life, are the effeds of his love, by which he mani- 
fefteth the infinite riches of his grace. In the fame 
order God doth execute this decree in time, he 
did decree it in his eternal counfel. i Theff. v. 9. 

2 Their, ii. 13. Sin is the effect of mad's free will, 
and condemnation is an effect of juftice inflicted 



1 573-] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 115 

upon man for fin and difobediencc. A man in this 
life may be fure of his eleclion. 2 Peter i. 10. i 
Their, i. 4. Yea, of his eternal happinefs, but not 
of his eternal reprobation ; for he that is now pro* 
fane, may be called hereafter." 

This faith, which was alfo held by Mr. Williams, 
moved them to fpend their lives for the welfare of 
mankind, and to eftabliih the firft government up« 
on earth, fince the rife of antichrift, which gave 
equal Jiberty, civil and religious, to all men there- 
in. Though many have imagined, that becaufe the 
leaders of the MafTachufetts profeffed this faith, 
that it was inconfiilent with the allowance of equal 
privileges to all mankind. Therefore I thought it 
beft here to give a view of the faith of thefe men, 
who were perfecuted by the MafTachufetts, becaufe 
they thought that good men ought to enforce their 
faith with the fword. But this laft opinion fhould 
ever bear the blame of all the injuries which they 
did to others, and not the faith above defcribed. 

Mr. Clarke was influenced fo much by faith and 
love, that through many changes, and doing of 
public bufinefs, both in Europe and America, I 
have never found one blemifh upon his character, 
noticed in any record or writing that I ever faw. 
In the lafl day of his life, he faid, 

" Whereas I John Clarke of Newport, in the col- 
ony of Rhode Illand and Providence Plantations, in 
New-England, phylician, am at this prefent, 
through the abundant goodnefs and mercy of my 
God, though weak in body, yet found in my mem- 
ory and underftanding, and being feniible of the in« 
conveniences that may enfue in cafe I fhould not 
fet my houfe in order, before this fpirit of mine be 
called by the Lord to remove out of this taberna- 
cle, do therefore make and declare this my lafl will 
and teftament, in manner following : willingly and 
readily refigning up my foul unto my merciful Re- 
deemer, through faith in whofe death I firmly hope 



l^^ A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. V. 

and believe to efcape from that fecond hurting 
death, and through his refurre^lion and life, to be 
glorified with him in life eternal. And my fpirit 
being returned out of this frail body, in which it 
hath converfed for about fixty-fix years, my will 
is that it be decently interred, without any vain of- 

5entation, between my loving wives, Elizabeth and 
ane, already deceafed, in hopeful expedation, that 
the fame Redeemer who hath laid down a price 
both for my foul and body, will raife it up at the 
laft day a fpiritual one, that they may together be 
finging hallelujah unto him to all eternity.*** O 
how glorious is fuch an end ! 



* Taken from his original will, dated April ?o, 1676 ; and 
he left our world the fame day. His firft wife was Elizabeth 
Harges, who had an annual income of twenty pounds fterling, 
from lands left her in Bedfordftiire. In a power of attorney to 
recover it, given May 12, 1656, he ftyled himfelf John Clarke, 
phyfician of London. She died at Newport, without i/Tue ; 
and he married Jane Fletcher in February, 1671, by whom he 
had a daughter ; but they both died in 1672. His third wife 
was the widow Sarah Davis, who furvived him, and he gave 
her the ufe of his farm in Newport, during her natural life, and 
then the income of it was to go to the poor, and to fupport civil 
and religious teaching. It has produced 200 dollars a year, 
and it has thus been a public benefit ever fince. His brother 
Jofeph Clarke was fometimes a magiftrate in their government, 
and he was a member of the firft church in Newport, above 
forty years ; and his pofterity are numerous and refpedablc 
ynto this day. 



1676.2 OF NEW-ENGLAND, 117 

CHAP. VL 

Jl terrible Indian war, — It prevailed mojl In the Majfa- 

chufetts, — Some whom they had employed againJlFrovi- 

dence colony^ revenge them/elves on their employers. 

'-^But the Baptiji fufferers now overcame evil with 

good^ and the war was clofed. — Many Chrijiian In* 

dians never joined in it, — Two Baptiji churches 

formed among them^ and others in our days.'-^More 

fever ities againji the Baptijis. — Their houfe for wor* 

Jhip nailed up in Bofton^ and writings againji them^ 

which they anfwered, — Death offotne of their minif 

ters. — The Maffachufetts charter vacated, — Then 

fome of their eyes were opened to fee their errors. 

VV E are now come to the time when they had 
the moft terrible war with the Indians, that ever 
was known in this part of the country. And in 
it there appeared a vaft difference between the In- 
dians who had been well treated before, and thofe 
who had been treated injurioufly. The execution 
of the great fachem of the Narraganfets, after he 
had been taken captive, and then delivered up to 
the Englifli, raifed fuch a fpirit of refentment a- 
mong them, that they often attempted to revenge 
his death. And fuch danger of their doing it 
appeared in 1645, *^^^ ^^ colony raifed an army 
againft them, when an inftrudion to their General 
faid, " You are to ufe your beft endeavours to gain 
the enemies' canoes, or utterly to deftroy them ; and 
herein you may make good ufe of the Indians our 
confederates, as you may do upon other occafions, 
having due regard to the honour of God, who is 
both our fword and fliield, and to the dijiance 
which is to be obferved betwixt Chriftians and bar- 
barians, as well in wars as in other negotiations.*'* 

* Hutchlnfon's Colledions, p. 151. 



ii8 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.VI. 

And though fear of gunpowder, want of union a- 
mong themfelves, and the want of an able leader, 
fufpended the war for many years, yet it now came 
on terribly. 

Philip, a fon and fucceflbr to old Maffaffoit, had 
been preparing for it for fever al years ; and becaufe 
it was difcovered to the Englifh, by one of his 
friends, that friend was murdered in Middlebo- 
rough, and the murderers were taken and executed 
at Plymouth. Upon this the war broke out im- 
mediately, and nine men were killed in Swanfea, 
June 24, 1675, and the alarm was given; and an 
army both from Bofton and Plymouth met there in 
four days, and made their head-quarters at the 
houfe of Mr. Miles, the Baptift minifter of Swanfea. 
Philip foon fled from his ftation at Mount Hope, 
now Briftol, over to the eafl lide of the great river. 
And upon this the MafTachufetts army marched 
into the Narraganfet country, and brought the In- 
dians there to promife not to join with Philip, and 
then they returned, and joined with Plymouth 
forces to fight againft him. But he foon came 
back over the river, and made his way up into 
Worcefter county, where fome Englifh were killed 
in July, as Captain Hutchinfon and others were on 
Auguft 2, near Brookfield. Major Willard then 
marched up and relieved that town, upon which 
the Indians went further weftward, and burnt mofl 
of the houfes in Deerfield, September i, and 
Northfield a few days after, when one Captain and 
about twenty men were flain. And on September 
18, as Captain Lothrop went with his company to 
guard fome teams, in bringing off grain from Deer- 
field, they were furprifed by the Indians, who 
flew him and more than feventy of his men. 
Deerfield was then deferted, and thirty houfes were 
burnt in Springfield, and fome men flain 
there. On October 19, Hatfield was affaulted by 



1676.] OF NEW.ENGLAND. 119 

many Indians, but they were bravely repulfed, and 
many of them retired into Narraganfet. 

Upon a fmall trad of upland, within a large 
fwamp in that country, they had built and ftored 
the ftrongeft fort that they ever had in thefe parts. 
Therefore the colonies raifed an army of a thou- 
fand men, under General Window, and deftroyed 
it on December 19, with great ftores of provifion, 
and many hundreds of the enemy ; but with the 
lofs of fix Englifh Captains, and 170, fome faid 
210 men killed or wounded. A terrible ftorm of 
fnow made the cafe much more diftrefling. And as 
much provifion was deftroyed in that fort, the In- 
dians were greatly diftrelTed, and many perifhed ; 
but a great thaw in January, 1676, enabled them 
to get fome food out of the ground, and they again 
went up northward, and burnt the deferted houfes 
in Mendon, and made an onfet upon Lancafter, 
February 10, burning their houfes, and killed or 
captivated forty perfons, of whom Mrs. Rowland- 
fon, wife to the minifter, was one, who publifhed 
an account of her captivity. Similar mifchiefs 
were done at Groton, Malborough, Sudbury, and 
Chelmsford ; and on February 21, they came 
down upon Medfield, but twenty miles from Bof- 
ton, and burnt many houfes, and killed eighteen 
men. On the 25th they did damage at Wey- 
mouth, ftill nearer to Bofton. On March 12, they 
took Clarke's garrifon in Plymouth, killing feveral 
perfons ; and on the next day they burnt all Gro- 
ton to the ground, fo that the place was deferted 
for fome time. In the fame month they burnt 
many houfes in Warwick, Providence and Reho- 
both. And on March 26, near Patucket river. 
Captain Pierce engaged with a body of Indians, 
who proved to be more than he expeded, when 
he and near lixty of his men were cut off, though 
it was faid they flew 140 Indians. And the weft- 
ern part of the MafTachufetts was now in great dif- 



120 A CHURCH HISTORY fCa. VL 

trefs, fo that new forces were raifed to help- 
them. 

William Turner, and other Baptifts, who had 
fufFered from the rulers of the government, 
were as ready to lend a helping hand againft the 
common enemy, as any among them. He had 
offered his fervice in the beginning of the war, but 
it was not then accepted ; but now he was called 
forth, and made Captain of a company, and his 
brother Drinker Lieutenant, and the company were 
mainly Baptifts, who marched up in the beginning 
of this month, with others, and drove off the enemy 
from Northampton, March 1 4. Many of the en« 
emy then came down the country again, and did 
much mifchief as before defcribed, and they alfo 
killed Captain Wadfworth and about thirty of his 
men at Sudbury, April 18. Moft of the weftern 
forces were now come down the country, and 
Captain Turner was left the chief commander 
above. 

Upon this the enemy felt more fecure, and feven 
or eight hundred of them reforted to the great 
falls above Deerfield upon the fifhing defign. Two 
captive lads made their efcape, and informed how 
fecure the Indians were, upon which Captain 
Turner and Captain Holyoke collected about an 
hundred and feventy men, and went up filently in 
the night, and tied their horfes at fome diftance, 
and a little before break of day. May 18, came up- 
on them unawares, " hired into their very wigwams, 
kilUng many upon the place, and frighting others 
with the fudden alarm of their guns, made them 
run into the river, where the fwiftnefs of the 
ftream carried them down a fteep fall, and they 
periihed in the waters ; fome getting into canoes 
were funk or overfet by the {hooting of our men ; 
others creeping under the bank of the river, were 
efpied by our men and killed with their fwords. 
Some of their prifoners owned afterwards that 



1676.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 121 

they loft above three hundred men, fome of them 
their beft fighting men that were left. Nor did 
they feem ever to recover themfelves after this de- 
feat, but their ruin followed direclly upon it.'* 
When they were firft fired upon, they cried out 
Mohawks ! but when they difcovered their miftake 
in the morning, they rallied their forces, and Cap- 
tain Turner being unwell, and not able to guide 
their retreat fo agreeably, 38 men fell, of whom he 
was one, who was afterwards found and buried.* 
All the reft of the Baptifts were fpared and return- 
ed. 

Captain Benjamin Church of Duxborough, in 
Plymouth colony, carried his family on to Rhode 
Ifland in the beginning of the war, and he was ve- 
ry ferviceable therein. And as he knew that the 
Sokonet Indians were forced into the war by Phi- 
lip, he ventured over among them in June, 1676, 
and gained them over to the Englifli, to fight 
againft. Philip, and they were very fuccefsful from 
day to day, until they killed him at Mount Hope, 
Auguft 12, 1676, after which peace was foon re- 
ftored in thefe parts. t 

This fummary of that cruel war is collected from 
a variety of hiftories and accounts. Connecticut 
forces were very helpful in the war, and they loft 
three captains at the Narraganfet fort ; namely. 
Gallop, Seily and Marftial, and a number of their 
men ; but they had fcarce any damage done in any 
of their towns, while they and the Mohegan In- 
dians did great exploits in the war. It began in 
Plymouth colony, where a few men were killed, 
and Captain Pierce was of their colony. But the 
Maflachufetts loft eight captains, viz. Hutchinfon, 
Beers, Lothrop, Devenport, Gardner, Johnfon^ 

* Hubbard*s Hiftory, p. 157 — 161. 
f Pumbam, before fpoken of, was killed a few days before 
Philip, 



122 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.VL 

Wadfworth and Turner, and a great many men. And 
the towns of Northfield, Deerfield, i3rookfield, 
Mendon, Lancafter and Groton, were all broken up 
for fome years ; and they loft a vaft deal of property. 

Mr. John Eliot, of Roxbury, had begun to teach 
Chriftianity to fome Indians about 1646, and Mr. 
Winflow, their agent in England, obtained a char- 
ter from the Parliament in 1649, ^^ incorporate a 
fociety to promote that work ; and Eliot learned 
the Indian language, and tranflated the Bible into 
it, which paffed one edition in 1 664, and another in 
1 684, with fome other books. Mr. Daniel Gookin, a 
magiftrate and a Major General in their government, 
was alfo his helper in the affair ; and they had formed 
twelve praying focieties among the Indians before 
this war, fome of them as high up the country as 
Dudley and Woodftock ; but they were all fcatter- 
ed in the war, and many of their praying Indians 
became bloody enemies, and were flain in the war, 
or hanged after it at Bofton. Thofe that remained 
were afterwards collected by Mr. Eliot into four 
focieties ; but they are all diffolved lince. 

But the Indians on Cape Cod, and on the iflands 
fouth of it, fcarce any of them ever joined in the war 
againft the Engliih. They had not only been treated 
in a friendly manner, but much pains had alfo been 
taken to teach them Chriftianity. Mr. Richard 
Bourn engaged in that work as early as 1 658, and in 
1670 he was ordained the paftor of a church 
among them, by the afiiftance of Mr. Eliot and 
others. And in 1674, he wrote to Major Gookin, 
that upon and near the Cape there were feven 
praying focieties among the Indians, of whom an 
hundred and forty could read, and fome of them 
could write. Marflipee, between Sandwich and 
Barnftable, was the greateft feat of them ; and a 
religious fociety has continued there ever iince, 
and, a Baptift church was formed and organized 
among them in i797» 



1676.2 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 123 

Mr. Thomas Mayhew obtained a grant of Mar- 
tha's Vineyard, and went to live there in 1642, 
where he was the chief ruler of the English inhab- 
itants, and his fon Thomas was their minifter. 
And about 1646 he began to preach to the Indians 
on the ifland ; and to promote the caufe, his fa- 
ther informed them, that by an order from the 
crown of England he was to govern the Englifh 
who ihould inhabit there ; that his royal mafter 
had power far above the Indian monarchs, but that 
as he was great and powerful, fo he was a lover of 
juftice, and would not invade their jurifdidion, but 
would affifl them if need required ; that religion 
and government were two diftind things, and their 
fachems might retain their juft authority, though 
their fubjecls became Chriflians. And he praclifed 
accordingly, and would not fuffer any to injure 
them, either in goods or lands. They always 
found a father and prote<fl:or in him ; and he was 
fo far from introducing any form of government 
among them againft their wills, that he firft con- 
vinced them of the advantage of it, and even 
brought them to defire him to introduce and fettle 
it. And a Chriftian church was< formed among 
them in 1659, in which four officers were ordained 
in 1670, by Mr. Eliot and others. And they had 
foon two churches on the Vineyard, and one on 
Nantucket. Old Mr. Mayhew faid in 1674^ 
" There are ten Indian preachers, of good know- 
ledge and holy con verfation ; feven jurifdiftions, and 
fix meetings every Lord's day." So many were 
on the Vineyard, befide a church at Nantucket. 

And when the war came on the next year, the 
Chriftian Indians were furnifhed with arms and 
ammunition to defend the iflands againft the ene- 
my ; and they were fo faithful therein, that when 
any landed to folicit them to join in the war, 
though fome were related by blood and others by 
marriage, yet the iflanders directly brought them 



124 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VI. 

before the Governor to attend his pleafure. And 
by a divine blefling on thefe means, though the 
Indians on the illand were twenty to one of the 
Englifli, yet they lived in peace and fecurity through 
all that dreadful war on the main land. Young 
Mr. Mayhew had failed for England, in 1657, and 
was loft at fea, but he left Peter Folger a fchool- 
mafter among the Indians ; and he removed to 
Nantucket about four years after, and taught them 
there. He became a Baptift, and there was a Bap- 
tift church formed among the Indians on the Vine- 
yard, and another at Nantucket, by 1693.* That 
on the Vineyard continues to this day, but the In- 
dians are nearly all dead on Nantucket. Peter 
Folger was grandfather to the famous Dr. Benja- 
min Franklin; 

Ninagret, fachem of the fouth part of the Narra- 
ganfets, did not join in that war, and their fuccef- 
fors have continued there in Charleftown ; and in 
and after 1741, many of them were hopefully con- 
verted, and a Baptift church was formed among 
them, which ftill remains, though many of them 
have removed up to the Oneida country. Alfo in 
1 74 1, many of the Mohegans were happily chang- 
ed, of whom Samfom Occum was one ; but many 
of them have remt)ved alfo to faid Oneida country. 

As minifters and rulers were ftill earneft to keep 
up the power of the church over the world, fo they 
could not do it without opprefling the Baptifts, who 
increafed confiderably. Hence their law to banifli 
them was reprinted in 1672 ; and they were often 
fined or imprifoned. Mr. William Hubbard, 
who preached their eledion fermon at Bofton, 
May 3, 1676, faid, "It is made, by learned and 
judicious writers, one of the undoubted rights of 
fovereignty to determine what religion fhall be 

* Magnalia, B. 6. p. ^6. Appendix to Mayhew's Indian 
converts, p. 291 — 296. Hiilorical Society, vol. i. p.,i68 — 207- 
vol. 3. p. 189, 190. 



1 577.] ^P NEW-ENGLAND. 125 

publicly profeffed and exercifed within their do- 
minions. Why elfe do we in New-England, that 
profefs the dodrine of Calvin, yet pradife the dif- 
cipline of them called Independent or Congregation- 
al churches, but becaufe the authority of the coun- 
try is perfuaded that is moft agreeable to the mind 
of God ?"* But why did they and their fathers 
diffent from the church of England ? In a dedica- 
tion of his fermon to their rulers, he faid, " If he 
was not miftaken who faid, it is morally impoffible 
to rivet the Chriftian religion into the body of a 
nation without infant baptifm, by proportion it will 
neceffarily follow, that the negled or difufe thereof 
will diredlly tend to root it out." But this was 
fpoken with a view that good men fhould ever 
have the government in their hands. 

Hence when Dr. Increafe Mather preached their 
eledion fermon, May 23, 1677, he referred to Mr. 
Cotton, who faid, " The Lord keep us from being 
bewitched with the whore's cup, left whilft we 
feem to deteft and reject her with open face of pro- 
feffion, we do not bring her in by the back door of 
toleration."t And Mather faid, " I believe that 
antichrift hath not at this day a more probable way 
to advance his kingdom of darknefs, than by a tol- 
eration of all religions and perfuaiions.^t This he 
reprinted with other fermons, in 1685, after their 
charter was taken away. But he fuffered fo much 
diredly after, that he and others got fuch a tolera- 
tion eftablifhed in Bofton in 1 693, though they could 
not get it extended through the country. For fifty 
years before they loft their charter, no man had a 
vote for their minifters or rulers, but communi- 
cants in their churches ; but under their fecond char- 
ter, the wicked had as much power in their gov-, 
ernment as the righteous, which discovered the 

* Said Sermon, p. 35. 
f Tenet wafhed, p. 192. 
f His Sermons, p. io<S. 



126 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VL 

neceffity of a toleration ; though their prefent 
views were fuch, as prevented their feeing it. 

In September, 1679, Mather was fcribe of a fy- 
nod that was called to give their opinion about 
what were the caufes of the judgments of God up- 
on the land ; and in their refult they faid, " Men 
liave fet up their threfholds by God's threfholds, 
and their polls by his pofts. Quakers are falfe 
worftiippers, and fuch Anabaptifts as have rifen up 
among us, in oppofition to the churches of the 
Lord Jefus^ xe^eiving into their fociety thofe who 
have been for fcandal delivered unto Satan ; yea, 
and improving thofe as adminiftrators of holy 
things, who have been (as doth appear) juftly un- 
der cenfure, do no better than fet up altars againft 
the Lord's altar." And their refult was approved 
by their General Court.* 

Upon the coming out of this, from the higheft 
authority in the country, the Baptifts carefully re- 
viewed their pail conduct, and they found but four 
men who were cenfured by Congregational 
churches, before they received them into their 
church, and one of them was of Dr. Mather's 
church, which ferved to raife his refentment. They 
therefore fent and obtained copies of their dealings 
with him, which difcovered that the member got 
angry when the church was dealing wdth him, and 
fpake and aded in a wrong manner. Upon which 
the Baptifts obliged him to offer fatisfaclion to that 
church, which he did both by word and by writ- 
ing ; but as his principles were inconfiftent with a 
returning into their communion, they would not 
revoke their cenfure.t 

This Baptift church had increafed fo much, that 
ii^ February, 1677, they concluded to divide into 
two churches ; but in January, 1678, they agreed 
to build them a meeting-houfe in Bofton, and not 

* Magnalia, B. 5. p. 87 — 89. 

f Ruflel's Narrative, p. 8. Willard's Aufwer, p. 21* 



1679.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 127 

to divide till they could get a minifter fettled there. 
Mr. Miles of Swanfea had often preached to them, 
and they requefted him to become their paflor, and 
for Mr. John Ruffell to fupply his place in Swan- 
fea. But he returned home, and Mr. Ruffell was » 
ordained in Bofton, July 28, 1679. They built 
their houfe for worftiip fo cautiouily, as not to let 
others know what it was deligned for, until they 
met in it, February 15, 1679. But in May follow- 
ing, a law was made to take it from them, if they 
continued to meet in it ; therefore they refrained 
from it for a while. News of that law was fent to 
England, from whence the king wrote to the rulers 
here, July 24, 1679, and faid, " We fliall henceforth 
expect that there fhall be fuitable obedience in re- 
fpecl of freedom and liberty of confcience, fo as 
thofe that deiire to ferve God in the way of the 
church of England, be not thereby made obnox- 
ious or difcountenanced from ftiaring in the gov., 
ernment, much lefs that any other of our good 
fubjecls (not being papifts) who do not agree in the 
Congregational way, be by law fubjedled to fines or 
forfeitures, or other incapacities, for the fame ; 
which is a feverity the more to be wondered at, 
whereas liberty of confcience was made one prin- 
cipal motive for your firft tranfportation into thofe 
parts."* 

Some friends in London informed the Baptifls 
of this, upon which they met in their houfe again, 
but their chief leaders were brought before the 
court of -Afliftants for it, in March, 1680 ; and be- 
caufe they would not promife not to meet there 
again, the court fent an officer, who nailed up the 
doors of their houfe, and forbid their meeting there 
any more upon their peril, w'ithout leave from 
court. Not long after the houfe was opened by an 
unknown hand, and they met there till May, when 

^ Hutchinfon's Collections, p. 520. 



128 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VI. 

the Baptifts were convented before the General 
Court at Bofton, and pleaded that their houfe was 
built when there was no law againft it, and the king 
had now written in their favour. But the Court 
only forgave what was pall, and forbid their meeting 
there any more. In the March before, Dr. Increafe 
Mather publilhed a pamphlet againft the Baptifts 
in general, and againft thofe in Bofton in particu- 
lar. And in May Mr. RufTell wrote an anfwer to 
what he had faid againft their charader, and it was 
printed in London the fame year, with a preface 
figned by William Kiffen, Hanfard Knollys, Daniel 
Dyke, William Collins, John Harris and Nehemiah 
Coxe, noted Baptift minifters. And they faid 
therein, " It feems moft ftrange that our Congre- 
gational brethren in New-England, who with liber- 
al eftates, chofe rather to depart from their native 
foil into a wildernefs, than to be under the lalli of 
thofe who upon religious pretences took delight to 
fmite their fellow-fervants ; fhould exercife to- 
wards others the like feverity that themfelves 
with fo great hazard and hardftiip fought to avoid ; 
efpecially conlidering that it is againft their brethren, 
who profefs and appeal to the fame rule with them- 
felves for their guidance in the worftiip of God, 
and the ordering their whole converfation." And 
they obferved that perfecutors in England then tri- 
ed to juftify themfelves by thefe feverities in 
America. 

In 1 68 1, Mr. Willard of Bofton wrote an an- 
fwer to RuiTell, and Dr. Mather wrote a preface to 
it, in which he faid, " I would entreat the brethren 
who have fubfcribed the epiftle to coniider that 
the place may fometimes make a great alteration 
as to indulgence to be expelled. It is evident that 
fuch toleration is not only lawful in one place, but 
a neceffary duty, which would be deftrudive in 
another place. That which is needful to ballaft a 
great fliip, will fmk a fmall boat," From whence 



i682.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 129 

we may learn, that it was their weaknefs and not 
their ftrength, which caufed them to be fo hard 
with their Baptift brethren. For the extending of . 
baptifm to infants in a ftate of nature, and fupport- 
ing their worfhip by force, in the name of their 
king, who forbid it, was indeed weak bufinefs. 

Mr. John Ruffell, pallor of the Baptift church in 
Bofton, died there December 21, 1680, much la- 
mented, and his pofterity are refped:able among us 
to this day. Elder Ifaac Hull was ftiil living, but he 
was aged and infirm. Therefore the church wrote 
to London, June 27, 1681, andfaid, " We conceive 
that there is a profped: of good encouragement for 
an able minifter to come over ; in that there feems 
to be an apparent and general apoftacy among the 
churches who have profeiTed themfelves Congrega- 
tional in this land ; whereby many have their eyes 
opened, by feeing the declenfions and confufion , 
that is among them." To this they received a kind 
anfwer, dated October 13, 1681, figned by Wil- 
liam KifFen, Hanfard Knollys, Daniel Dyke, Wil- 
liam Collins, Nehemiah Coxe, Edward Williams, 
William Dix, Robert Sneiling, Tobias Ruffell, 
Maurice King, and John Skinner. And on July 
20, 1684, they received John Emblen from Eng- 
land, who became their paftor for about fifteen 
years, until his death. 

Elder Thomas Olney was paftor of the Baptift 
church in Providence, for above forty years, till 
he died in 1682, leaving a good character, and his . 
pofterity are numerous to this day. Obadiah 
Holmes was paftor of the firft church in Newport, 
from foon after Mr. Clarke's death, until he died, 
October 15, 1682, aged ']6^ and his pofterity are 
now large, in New-England and New-Jerfey. 

By ailiftance from Bofton, a Baptift church was 
formed at Kittery, in the Province of Maine, 
in September, 1682, when William Scraven was 

R 



13^ A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VL 

ordained their pallor ; but cruel perfecution 
ibon fcattered them, fome to South-Carolina^ 
fome to New-Jerfey, and fonie to Boflon again, 
where they were ufeful afterwards. Mr. Miles 
of Swanfea died there in a good old age, 
February 3, 1683; and Mr. Samuel Luther fuc- 
ceeded him in his oince for more than thirty 
years. In April, the fame year, Mr. Roger 
Williams was taken to reft, and he hath a large 
pofterity among us to this day. He was honour- 
ed of God to be inftrumental of founding the lirft 
civil government upon earth, fince the rife of anti- 
chrift, that allowed equal religious liberty, and he 
was fervkeable therein unto the. age of 84^ And 
for godly linccrity in public aclings, and overcom- 
ing evil with good, it is believed no man on earth 
exceeded him in that age. 

A dreadful ftorm came upon this country the year 
after; for the charter of the Maffachufetts was va- 
cated in 1684, and amazing confuiions followed it. 
Their government of the church over the world, 
which had been upheld for fifty years, with a vaft 
deal of labour to themfelves, and oppreffion up- 
on others, was now diffolved , and the meafures 
which they had meted to others, were meted to 
them with a vens:eance. Sir Edmond Andros,. 
with his council in 1686, made law^s and impofed 
taxes upon all without any houfe of reprefenta- 
tives ; and they declared that as their charter was 
forfeited, their lands belonged to the king, and 
each mam muft come and buy new titles from them, 
or be turned oft" from their lands, which Ihculd 
be difpofed of to others. And as the officers of 
the town of Ipfwich refufed to aifefs a tax^ which 
was impofed without a houfe of reprefentatives, 
and Mr. Wife their minifter juftihed them in it, he 
and thofe officers were brought before the court at 
Bofton, w^here they pleaded Magna Charta, and 
the laws of England, in their juftification* But 



.16^7-] ^F NEW-ENGLAND. 13 ? 

one of the judges fald, " You mud not think that 
the laws of England will follow you to the ends of 
the earth. Mr. Wife, you have no more privilc^^-e 
left you, than not to be fold for flaves ; and no man 
of the council contradicled it." And one of them 
alfo faid, " It is a fundamental point, confented to 
by all Chriftian nations, that the firll difcoverer of 
a country inhabited by infidels, gives right and 
dominion of that country to the prince in whofe 
fervice the difcovercrs were fent." But the Maf- 
fachufetts replied and faid, " This is not a Chrif- 
tian, but an unchriftian principle."* Yes ; and it 
was as m^ch fo when Mr. Williams was baniflied 
for teftifying againft this and other evils. 

Mr. Bradftreet was active in banifhing Mr. Wil- 
liams, and he now felt much of thefe calamities, 
when the government was diffolved of which he 
was at the head. Dr. Mather, alfo, who had done 
much againfl the Baptifts, was now cruelly perfe- 
cuted by evil men ; one of whom forged a letter in 
his name, which was ihown to the king and coun- 
cil in England, and expofed him to reproach and 
fufferings there. And becaufe he wTote to a friend 
that he thought one of their opprelfors here forged 
faid letter, he was profecuted for defamation on 
that account, and though he was acquitted upon 
trial, yet they attempted to take him up again for 
it. The fupporting of miniflers in the country 
was interrupted, and Epifcopal worfhip was forci- 
bly carried into one of the meeting- houfes in Bof- 
ton. Thefe things were fo diftreliing, tKat when 
they heard that king James had publiflied a decla- 
ration for liberty of confcience, in 1687, the minif- 
ters of Bofton propofed with their people to keep 
a day of thankfgiving for it ; but Andros faid if 
they did, he would clap a guard of foldiers at the 
doors of their meeting- houfes, and fo prevented it. 

* TJie Revolution in New-England vindicated, p. 1 6, 44, 



132 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.VI. 

Upon thefe multiplied troubles, they conclud- 
ed to fend Dr. Mather their agent to England ; 
but their enemies tried to hinder it, and he pri- 
vately got away, and failed to England, in the 
fpring of 1688, and thanked the popifli king 
James, for his declaration for liberty of confcience 
to all. 

So great a turn was given to his mind, that 
he then concluded that the parable of the tares of 
the field required a general toleration about relig- 
ion ; and he faid, " For an uppermoft party of 
Chriflians to punifh men in their temporal enjoy- 
ments, becaufe in fome religious opinions they dif- 
fent from them, or with an exclulion from the tem- 
poral enjoyments which would juftly belong unto 
them, is a robbery.'** All his life afterwards 
was agreeable to this belief, though many minif- 
ters in our country have been guilty of fuch rob- 
bery ever fince. One religious fe6t have held a 
power to take away the property of the people for 
minifters, to the conftant injury of difTenters from 
them. ' 

Dr. Mather had feveral interviews with King 
James, till he found him to be fo deceitful, that 
he refrained from any more concern with him, 
and waited for William to come to the throne. 
But Andros was fo much afraid of it, that he im- 
prifoned the man who firft brought his proclama- 
tion to Bofton ; though this alarmed the country 
fo much, that the people flocked in by thoufands, 
April 18, 1689, and confined Andros and his party, 
until they were fent to England by an order from 
thence ; and the former rulers here were reftored 
to their places, and managed the government till 
the new charter arrived. 

- * His Life, p- 59. 



1692O OF NEW-ENGLAND. 133 



CHAP. VIL 

The world governs the church. — But Bojlon is exe?npted 
from it,-— Plymouth colony was fo at fir (I. — Great de- 
clenfions are lamented, — But they increafe, — Epif co- 
pal fociety conjiituted, — They try for an efiablifhment 
here, — Minifters try for a lordly power, — They 
obtain it in Conne6licut, — Hooker was againfi it, — 
Norwich and Windfor rejed it ; and Wife^ Moody 
and Mather alfo, — But Stoddard was not fo, — The 
Baptifis are favoured at Bofion, — Hollis is libe- 
ral to Cambridge college. 



T 



HE new charter for the Maffachufetts con- 
tained many privileges, though it took away fome 
which they had before. It was dated October 7, 

1 69 1, and referved a power in the crown always 
to appoint the two chief officers of government ; 
and no law could be made without the confent of 
the Governor, and when that was obtained, the 
King in council could difannul any law, within 
three years after it was made. William intended 
by this to prevent their making any more pcrfecut- 
ing laws, and it had that effed: fifty years after, 
when Connedicut imprifoned men for preaching 
the gofpel, but the Maffachufetts could not da fo. 
Yet other evils were not prevented ; and taxing of 
our trade, and being under kingly governors, fi- 
nally feparated thefe colonies from Britain. Ply- 
mouth colony, on the one hand, and the Province 
of Maine on the other, were now united with the 
Maffachufetts. 

When the new charter arrived. May 14, 

1692, the country was fo involved in confufion a- 
bout witchcraft, that twenty perfons were execut- 
ed on that account, in about four months. And 
when their General Court met, on Oclober 12, 
they made laws to compel every town to have and 



134 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VII. 

fupport an orthodox minifter, and to empower 
their county courts to punifli every town who neg- 
lected it. The whole power of choofing, and of 
fupporting religious minifters was put into the 
hands of the voters in each town, who acted there- 
in without any religious qualification in themfelves. 
Formerly the church had governed the world, but 
now the world was to govern the church, about 
religious minifters. Our Lord fays, " Except a 
man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of 
God." John iii. 3. And his kingdom evidently 
here means his church ; yet no regard is paid to 
his authority, as far as the world governs in reli- 
gious affairs. 

Therefore Dr. Mather, and other fathers in Bof- 
ton, obtained an exemption from thefe laws, in 
February, 1693, which Bofton has enjoyed ever 
lince. But the country in general is governed by 
the world, about religious minifters, to this day. 
When that firft law was made, they did not re- 
member that any town had more than one church 
in it. But now an acl Vi^as paffed to allow each 
church to eled her own minifter, and then to prefent 
him to the voters in the fociety who met with them 
for worfhip ; and if they received him, all that fo- 
ciety muft be compelled to fupport him. If 
the Selectmen of any town negleded to affefs the 
falary that was ordered for their minifter, their 
county courts were to fine them forty {hillings for 
the firft offence, and four pounds for the fecond. 
And they attempted to force the town of Swanfea 
to receive a Congregational minifter, where there 
never had been any but Baptift churches, nor ever 
have to this day. The fecond church was now 
formed there. 

When they were under the government of 
Plymouth colony, their minifters were treated as 
regular minifters, and one of the brethren of the 
firft church in Swanfea was elected a magiftrate 



1693.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 17^^ 

in their government for eleven years together. 
Neither was a college education held to be effential 
for a Congregational minifter there, as it was in 
the Maffachufetts ; for Mr. Jonathan Dunham 
was ordained the paftor of the church at Edgarton 
in 1694 y and Mr. Samuel Fuller, after preaching 
iixteen years in Middleborough, was ordained paf- 
tor of a church that was conftituted there in 1694. 
He was much efteemed as a gofpel minifter, until 
he died there, Auguft 24, 1695, ^g^^ ^^- ^^' 
Ifaac Cuihman was invited to fucceed him, but he 
chofe to fettle at Plymton, where he before had a 
call; and he was ordained there in 1698, where 
he was a great bleffing for about forty years. Mr. 
Samuel Arnold was alfo the firft minifter in Ro- 
chefter, where he was long ufeful ; and neither of 
thefe were educated at any college. And though 
Mr. John Cooke was cenfured by Mr. Reyner at 
Plymouth, a little before he left that church, and 
robbed them of their records, yet Cooke was a 
Baptift minifter in Dartmouth for many years, 
from whence fpring the Baptift church in the eaft 
borders of Tiverton. 

The Maffachufetts were three years in finding 
out what to do when a congregation did not con- 
cur with their church, in the choice of a paftor ; 
but in May, 1695, they enabled, that in fuch a 
cafe, the church fhould call a council, of three or 
five churches, and if they approved of the choice 
of the church, the congregation muft fubmit and 
fupport him ; if not, then the church muft give 
up her choice, and call another minifter ; and fo 
they have a6led ever fince. And it may be fervice- 
able to know what eminent fathers then thought 
about the ftate of religion among them. 

Mr. Samuel Torry of Weymouth delivered 
the eledion fermon at Bofton, May i5, 1683, when 
he faid, " There is already a great death upon re- 
ligion, little more left than a name to live ; the 



1:^6 A CHURCH HISTORY " [Ch, VIL 

things which remain are ready to die, and we are 
in great danger of dying together with it ; this is 
one of the moil awakening and humbling confid- 
erations of our prefent ftate and condition. Oh 
the many deadly fymptoms, fymptoms of death 
that are upon our religion ! Conlider we then 
how much it is dying refpe6ling the very being of 
it, by the general failure of the work of conver- 
sion ; whereby only it is that religion is propaga- 
ted, continued, and upheld in being among any 
people. As converfion work doth ceafe, fo relig- 
ion doth die away ; though more infenlibly, yet 
moil irrecoverably."* And in 1697, Dr. Increafe 
Mather wrote a dedication of Mitchel's life, in 
which he faid, " Dr. Owen has evinced, that the let- 
ting go this principle, that particular churches 
ought to coniiil of regenerate perfons^ brought in 
the great apoilacy of the Chriilian church. The 
way to prevent the like apoilacy in thefe churches, 
is to require an account of thofe who oiFer them- 
felves to communion therein, concerning the work 
of God on their fouls, as well as concerning their 
knowledge and belief.^'f Three years after he 
publiihed another book, which he dedicated to the 
churches of New-England, to whom he faid, "if 
the begun apoilacy fhould proceed as fail, tlie next 
thirty years, as it has done thefe lail, furely it will 
come to that in Nevv^-England (except the gofpel 
itfelf depart with the order of it) that the moil 
confcientious people therein will think themfelves 
concerned to gather churches out of churches." 
And having clearly proved that Chriil has given 
to his churches the ible right, each of elecling her 
own pailors, he declares it to be " Simonical to af- 
firm that this facred privilege may be purchafed 
with money."t And the next year after this book 

* Said Sermon, p. 11. f Said dedication, p. 16, 

X Mather on gofpel order, 1700, p. 12, 67, 6%, 



J 700.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 137 

was publifhed, it was highly recommended by Mr. 
John Higginfon, and Mr. William Hubbard, the 
two oldeft minifters in the government, as may be 
feen in Wife's works, printed in 1773. Mr. Wil- 
lard publifhed a book in 1700, in which he fays, 
" It hath been a frequent obfervation, that if one 
generation begins to decline, the next that follows 
ufually grows worfe, and fo on, until God pours 
out his Spirit again upon them. The decays which 
we already languiih under are fad ; and what to- 
kens are on our children, that it is like to be bet- 
ter hereafter ? God be thanked that there are fo 
many among them who promife well ; but alas, 
how doth vanity, and a fondnefs after new things a- 
bound among them? How do young profeffors grow 
weary of the ftrid profeflion of their fathers, and 
become ftrong difputants for thofe things which 
their progenitors forfook a pleafant land for the 
avoidance of T'* 

A new church was formed in Brattle Street, Bof- 
ton, in 1699, with a profeffed delign to receive 
communicants upon lower terms than their fathers 
did ; and in 1700, Mr. Solomon Stoddard of Nor- 
thampton publifhed a book in London, wherein he 
exprefsly held, that the Chriflian church is nation- 
al ; and that all baptized perfons, who are not 
openly fcandalous, ought to come to the Lord's 
fupper, " though they know themfelves to be in a 
natural condition." And by confounding the 
work of Jewifh and Chriflian officers together, he 
afTerted that the power of receiving, cenfuring and 
refloring members is wholly in officers, and fays, 
'' The brethren of the church are not to intermed- 
dle with it.'' Again he fays, " A national fynod is 
the highefl ecclefiaflical authority upon earth.'* 
Finally he fays, " Synods have power to admonilh, 

* Chriftian Hiftory, vol. i. p. loi, 

s 



138 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIL 

to excommunicate, and deliver from thofe cenfures, 
and every man muft ftand to the judgment of the 
national fynod. Deut. xvii. 12.'** Thefe indeed 
were the fame principles, which our fathers fled in- 
to America to avoid ; and this laft text is the fame 
which was brought in 1668, to juftify their ban- 
ifhing the Baptifts. 

Epifcopalians were alfo then flriving for power 
over this country. On June 16, 1701, a fociety 
was incorporated in England for that purpofe, 
even to propagate what they called th-e gofpel in 
America. They fent over mifTionaries, and got fo 
far in about 1 2 years, as to obtain an order from 
the crown to bring a bill into Parliament, to eftab- 
lifti Epifcopacy here, and they expedled it would 
fpeedily be done, when the queen was fuddenly 
taken away by death ; and they could not get the 
two fucceeding kings to revive the fcheme.f 

When the General Court met at Bofton, Octo- 
ber 15, 1702, they made another law to empower 
each county court, after fining fuch Afleflbrs of 
towns as did not obey their orders, to appoint 
others to do it, and then to procure warrants from 
two juftices of the quorum, requiring the confta- 
bles of delinquent towns and diftrids to colled: fuch 
taxes, upon the fame penalties as for other taxes ; 
and the fines impofed upon delinquent officers 
were to go to pay faid new AfleiTors for their fer- 
vice. At the fame time the minifters through the 
government were trying for a claffical power above 
all the churches. A number of minifters figned 
propofals for fuch a fcheme, November 5, 1 705, 
juft an hundred years after the gunpowder plot. 
But Mr. John Wife wrote a fliarp anfwer to thefe 
propofals, which prevented their taking place here ; 
though they were foon received in Connedicut ; 

* Stoddard on inftltuted churches, p. 12, 21, 29, 33. 
f Chandler's Appeal in 1767, p. 50 — 54. 



1708.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 139 

for the third Governor Winthrop died there, 
Nov. 27. 1707, upon which a fpecial nneeting of 
their General Court was called, December 17, to 
choofe a new Governor. By a law then in force, 
he was to be chofen out of a certain number of 
men in previous nomination ; but they broke over 
this law, and eleded an ordained minifter for 
their Governor ; and he readily quitted the folemn 
charge of fouls, for worldly promotion, and was 
fworn into his new oiEce, January i, 1708, after 
which they repealed the law which they had before 
broken. Mr. Gurdon Saltonftall was the Governor 
fo chofen ; and he took the propofals of 1705, and 
prefented them to their Legiflature, where it was 
obferved that there was not one text of fcripture 
in them. And as this would not do, the propo- 
fals were filently withdrawn ; and when they met 
at Hartford, May 13, 1708, an acl was paffed 
which faid, "This AfTembly, from their own ob- 
fervation, and from the complaint of others, being 
made feniible of the defects of the difcipline of the 
churches of this government, ariiing from the 
want of a more explicit alTerting of the rules given 
for that end in the Holy Scriptures, from which 
would arife a firm eftablifhment amongft ourfelves, 
a good and regular iiTue in cafes fubjeft to eccleli- 
aftical difcipline, glory to Chrift our Head* anded« 
ification to his members, hath feen fit to ordain 
and require, and it is by authority of the fame or- 
dained and required, that the miniflers of the 
churches, in the feveral counties of this govern- 
ment, ihall meet together at their refpedive coun- 
ty towns, with fuch meffengers as the churches to 
which they belong fhall fee caufe to fend with 
them, on the laft Monday in June next, there to 
confider and agree upon thofe methods and rules 
for the management of ecclefiaflical difciplinej 

* Can Chrill be the head of a worldly government ^ 



14© A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIL 

which by them fhall be judged agreeable and con- 
formable to the word of God ; and Ihall at the 
fame meeting appoint two or more of their num- 
ber to be their delegates, who fhall all meet togeth* 
er at Saybrook at the next commencement to be 
held there,* where they fhall compare the refults 
of the minifters of the feveral counties, and out of 
and from them to draw a form of eccleliaftical dif- 
cipline," which fhould be prefented to the Affem- 
biy for their acceptance, and the expenfe of thofe 
meetings was to be paid out of their treafury. 
This order was obeyed, and a fcheme of difcipline 
was drawn up, which was eftabliflied by law the 
next month. Their fecond article fays, 

^' That the churches, which are neighbouring 
each to other, fhall confociate for mutually afford- 
ing to each other fuch affiftance as may be requi- 
lite, upon all occalions ecclefiaftical j" and they 
formed two kinds of judicatures for that purpofe. 
The firfl are confociations, conlifting of minifters 
meeting in their own perfonS, and the churches by 
their meifengers, of whom each church might fend 
one or two, though the want of them fhould not 
invalidate the ads of the council ; but none of their 
a6ls were valid without the concurrence of the 
majority of the paftors prefent. They were to be 
the {landing council in each circuit ; though in 
cafes of fpecial difficulty they may call the next 
confociation to fit and a6t with them. They are 
to have one or more confociation in each county. 
They are to have a new choice of meifengers and 
moderators once a year, or oftener ; and the laft 
moderator is to call a new meeting when it is judg- 
ed proper. Their fent^nce is to be final and deci- 
five. Their other judicatures are called aflbciations, 
which are meetings of minifl:ers by themfelves in 

* Then the college was there, which is fmce at NeW" 
Haven. 



1708.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 141 

each circuit, as often as they think proper, to hear 
and anfwer queftions of importance, to examine 
and licenfe candidates for the miniftry, to receive 
complaints from individuals or focieties, and to 
dired to the calling of the council to try the fame, 
if they think proper ; to dired deftitute churches 
in calling and fettling paftors, and to make com- 
plaint to their Legillature againfl any whom they 
think negligent of their duty in thefe things. 
And each affociation is to choofe one or two dele- 
gates, to meet once a year from all parts of their 
government in a general affociation. 

Their fourth article fays, " that according to the 
common practice of our churches, nothing (hall be 
deemed an a6l or judgment of any council, which 
hath not a major part of the Elders prefent concur- 
ring, and fuch a number of the meffengers prefent, 
as to make the majority of the council.'' Which 
is a naked falfehood ; for this was fo far from being 
common, that fuch a practice was never known be- 
fore in New-England. If the major vote of 
the minifters is neceffary in all their acls, to what 
end are any delegates fent from their churches ? 
Are they not mere cyphers ? 

Mr. Hooker of Hartford, one of the beft minif- 
ters who ever came to America, fays, " A particu- 
lar congregation is the higheft tribunal, unto 
which the grieved party may appeal in the third 
place, if private council, or the witnefs of two have 
feemed to proceed too fliarply, and with too much 
rigour a^ainft him ; before the tribunal of the 
church, the caufemay eaiily be fcanned and fentence 
executed according to Chrift. If difficulties arife 
in the proceeding, the council of other churches 
fliould be fought to clear the truth ; but the pow- 
er of cenfure refts ftill in the congregation where 
Ghrift placed it." And, fpeaking of the acts of 
councils, he fays, " They fet down their determi- 
»2Ltion;?, affure truths in their judgments, and fo 



142 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIL 

return them to the particular churches from 
whence they came ; and their determinations take 
place, not becaufe they concluded fo, but becaufe 
the churches approved of what they have deter- 
mined ; for the churches fent them, and therefore 
are above them.*'* 

Thus Congregational principles are, that minif- 
ters have no right in councils, but as they are fent 
by each church, and that their judgments are not 
binding until the church approves of them ; but in 
this new fcheme, the minifters attend councils with- 
out being fent by their churches, and their judg- 
ments are above all their churches. And yet they 
have the face to call this the common pradice of 
their churches in former times. 

Mr. John Woodward was then minifter of Nor- 
wich, and he got the adt of their Leg^lature, which 
approved of that fcheme, and read off the firft part 
of it to his congregation, without the claufe which 
allowed of a diftent from it : but Richard Bufhnel 
and Jofeph Backus, Efqirires, their reprefentatives, 
gave them that claufe ; but he got a major vote to 
adopt it, upon which faid reprefentatives, and oth- 
er fathers of the town, withdrew from that tyran- 
ny, and held worfhip by themfelves for three 
months. For this the minifter and his party cen- 
fured them, and then fent a letter to their Legifla- 
ture, that Norwich had fent fcandalous men for 
their reprefentatives, v/ho were under church cen- 
fure, and they were expelled the houfe. But it was 
not long before the minifter confented to call a 
council ; and they had council after council for 
about fix years. Mr. Stoddard was moderator of 
one of them, and the Governor alfo came there to 
try what his influence would do. The laft council 
met there, Auguft 31, 1716, and by their advice he 
was difmiffed, and he quitted the miniftry, and 

* Survey of church difclpllne, part 4. p. 19, 47. 



17 1 5-] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 143 

went to farming, for which it is likely he was bet- 
ter qualified. The church in Norwich deter- 
mined to abide by their old principles, and it was 
well known, that when their church was conftitut- 
ed at Saybrook in 1660, with the approbation of 
other minifters, Mr. James Fitch was ordained their 
paftor, by the laying on of the hands of their two 
deacons, as a token that the power of ordination is 
in each church. They came and planted Norwich 
the fame year, and Mr. Fitch was greatly efteemed 
as a minifter of the gofpel for near fifty years. Mr. 
Timothy Edwards, father of the Prefident, with 
his church at Windfor, alfo refufed to receive this 
new fcheme. But many minifters in the MalTachu- 
fetts were fo fond of it, that they prefented a peti- 
tion to their Legiflature, in 1715, that they would 
call a fynod to introduce it ; and the council voted 
to grant it, but other branches did not concur. 
Yet a law was then made, to require each county 
court to charge the grand jury to profecute every 
town or diftrict who negleAed to fettle or fupport 
fuch minifters as they called orthodox ; and if they 
could not bring them to do it, the court was to 
make complaint to the Legiflature, and they were 
to order fuch fums to be affeffed on delinquent 
towns as they judged proper, and the minifters 
were to draw their falaries out of the ftate treafu- 
ry. But fome others were of a very different mind ; 
for two minifters wrote to Mr. Wife, and defired 
him to print a fecond edition of his piece againft 
the faid propofals, which they faid, " will be a tefti- 
mony that all our watchmen were not afleep, nor 
the camp of Chrift furprifed and taken before they 
had warning." This was the language of Mr. 
Samuel Moody of York, and Mr. John White of 
Gloucefter,^ men of eminent piety and ufefulnefs. 
Mr. Wife complied with their requeft. Mr. Backus 
of Norwich had requefted the fame, when he went 
as far as Bofton and Ipfwich to confult about their 



144 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ctt.ViL 

affairs, before Norwich minifter was difmiffed. Dr* 
Increafe Mather alfo now publifhed a book, in 
which he faid, " For minifters to pretend to a neg- 
ative voice in fynods, or for councils to take upon 
them to determine what elders or meffengers a 
church Ihall fubmit unto, without the choice of the 
church concerned ; or for minifters to pretend to 
be members of a council without any miilion from 
their churches, nay, although the church declares 
that they will not fend them ; is preledical^ and 
effentially differing not only from Congregational, 
but from Prefbyterian principles. And now that I 
am going out of the world, I could not die in peace, 
if I did not difcharge my confcience in bearing 
witnefs againft fuch innovations, and invafions on 
the rights and liberties belonging to particular con- 
gregations of Chrift."* 

This was the teftimony of the oldeft minifter 
then in this province, who had been twice to Eng- 
land, and had been Preildent of Harvard college 
lixteen years, fo that his knowledge muft have 
been very extenfive ; and yet his teftimony was 
little regarded by many. And the decleniion of 
the churches kept pace with the corruption of their 
minifters ; for Mr. Stoddard publiftied a fermon 
from the twelfth of Exodus, in 1707, wherein he 
held forth, " that as all perfons in Ifrael who were 
circumcifed were required to eat the paffover, fo 
all baptized perfons, if they were not fcandalous, 
ought to come to the Lord's Supper." And he 
went fo far as to fay, " That a minifter who knows 
himfelf unregenerate may neverthelefs lawfully ad- 
minifter baptifm and the Lord's Supper. Men 
who are deftitute of faving grace, may preach the 
gofpel, and therefore adminifter and fo partake of 
the Lord's Supper. For, (fays he) the children 
of God's people (hould be baptized, who are gen- 

* Difquiiltion concerning councils, 17 16, p. 13- 



1716.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 145 

erally at that time in a natural condition. And the 
facrament is a converting ordinance for church 
members only, and not for other men."* Againft 
this dodlrine. Dr. Mather publifhed a differtation 
in 1708, wherein he brings the awful cafe of the 
man who came in without a wedding garment, 
and of them who eat and drink the Supper un- 
worthily ; to avoid which, all are called to exam- 
ine themfelves whether they be in the faith ; alfo 
that all the churches to whom the apoftles wrote, 
were called faints, and faithful brethren in Chrift 
Jefus, and the Lord added to the church fuch as 
fliould be faved ; and much more to the fame pur- 
pofe. But as long as he held to infant baptifm, 
Mr. Stoddard was fo far from yielding to him, that 
he publifhed a reply in 1709, wherein all his argu- 
ments turn upon thefe points, " That if unfanclifi- 
ed perfons might lawfully come to the PaiTover, 
then fuch may lawfully come to the Lord's Sup- 
per ; and they who convey to their children a 
right to baptifm, have a right themfelves to the 
Lord's Supper, provided they carry inofFenlively."t 
He could plainly fee that there was no half way in 
the Jewifh church ; and his opponent could fee as 
plainly that fruits meet for repentance were requir- 
ed in order for baptifm, even of thofe who were 
in Abraham's covenant. But as tradition had 
taught them both that the Chriftian church was 
built upon that covenant, neither of them could 
convince the other, though they were two of the 
moft able minifters in the land. 

By thefe things Dr. Mather was brought to treat 
the Baptifts in quite another manner than former- 
ly. Mr. ElHs Callender joined to their church in 
Bofton in 1669, and was a leading member of it 
in 1680, when their houfe was nailed up j and he 

* Said Sermon, p. 13, 27, 28. 

f Appeal to the learned, p. 50, 89. 

T 



146 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIL 

became thepaftorof it in 1708. On Auguft lo, 
17 13, his fon EUfha became a member of it, after 
which he went through Harvard College in Cam- 
bridge. Dr. Mather had appeared fo friendly 
to the Baptifts, that he and his fon, and Mr. John 
Webb, were called, and affiled in ordaining Mr. 
Eliiha Callender, as paftor of the Baptift church in 
Boilon, May 21, 1718. Dr. Increafe Mather 
wrote a preface to the ordination fermon, in 
which he laid, " It was a grateful furprife to me, 
when feveral brethren of the Antipsedobaptift 
perfuaiion came to me, defiring that I would give 
them the right hand of fellowihip in ordaining one 
whom they had chofen to be their paftor." 
Dr. Cotton Mather preached the ordination fer- 
mon, in which he fpake much againft cruelties 
which had often been exercifed againft diftenters 
from the ruling powers, both in this and other 
countries, and then faid, " If the brethren in whofe 
houfe we are now convened, met with any thing 
too unbrotherly, they with fatisfaclion hear us ex- 
preffing our dillike of every thing that looked like 
perfecution in the days that have pafled over us."* 
Mr. Ellis Callender was a good man in 
168©, when the houfe was nailed up, in which his 
fon was now ordained by the help of a minifter, 
who then had influence in faid event. He was 
then very zealous againft thofe whom he now gave 
fellowfhip to ; and this may afford a teaching 
leffon to after ages. Many are earneft in our 
days to compel all to fupport Congregational wor- 
ihip, who are far from adling with the lincerity that 
their fathers did. 

From this time the Baptift principles were in 
more efteem ; and Samuel Jennings, Efq. a repre- 
fentative for Sandwich, was baptized by Mr. Eliflia 
Callender^ June 9, 17 18, and joined to his church, 

* Said Sei^mon, p. 38, 39. 

\ 



1720.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 147 

of which he continued a member until he died in 
1764. This did not hinder his being eleded a 
reprefentative again, nor of his ferving in other of- 
fices for his town. And fuch a revival came on in 
Swanfea, in 1718, as caufed the addition of fifty 
members to the firft church there in five years, of 
which an account was fent to Mr. Thomas Hollis of 
London, one of the moft liberal men upon earth. 
Dr. Mather had fome acquaintance with him, 
when he was in England thirty years before ; and 
now, hearing of thefe tranfaclions, his heart was 
wonderfully enlarged towards our country. Soon 
after Mr. Callender was ordained, he and his 
church wrote to friends in London, and an hundred 
and thirty-five pounds were fent from thence, to 
enable them to repair their meeting-houfe. And 
in 1720, Mr. Hollis fent over fo much money as 
to found a profefforihip of theology in Harvard 
College, with a falary of eighty pounds a year to 
the profeffor, and ten pounds per annum to ten 
fcholars of good character, four of whom fliould 
be Baptifls, if any fuch were there. Alfo ten 
pounds a year to the college treafurer, for his trou- 
ble, and ten pounds more to fupply accidental loiT- 
cs, or to increafe the number of fludents. And 
in 1726, he founded in that college a profeiTorihip 
of the mathematics and experimental philofophy, 
with a falary of eighty pounds a year to the pro- 
feffor ; and he fent over an apparatus for the pur- 
pofe, which cod about an hundred and fifty pounds 
fterling, befide large additions to the college libra- 
ry. No man had ever been fo liberal to it before, 
as was this Baptift gentleman. 



148 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIIL 



CHAP. VIIL 

Freetown opprejjed. — Alfo Tiverton and Bartm'outh.^^ 
They got relief from England, — Increafe Maiher di- 
ed, — His fon tries for more power ; but is checked 
from England. — He dies, — Pharaoh imitated, — Ma- 
ny are imprifoned,--^Religion revived, — Comer con- 
'verted, — He is ferviceahle in many places. — He and 
ethers die, -^Congregational churches at Newport and 
Providence, --^A great work at Northampton. Sev» 
eral Baptiji churches formed. 

XT' 

XLQUAL liberty was then enjoyed in Bofton, 

while other towns were opprelTed. In 171 8, a 
law was made to compel all the country to affift 
in building or repairing Congregational meeting- 
houfes ; and in 17 19, another attempt was made 
to force Swanfea to receive and fupport one of 
their minifters, when they had two Baptift church- 
es and three minifters then in the town, and no 
other religious fociety therein. Freetown, on the 
eaft fide of Swanfea, called Mr. Thomas Craghead, 
a minifter from Ireland, to be their paftor, Sep- 
tember 9, 1 71 7, and he accepted of their call; but 
inftead of an amicable agreement with them about 
his fupport, he went to the court at Briftol in Jan- 
uary, 171 8, and procured an order from thence to 
compel Freetown to pay him a falary of fixty-five 
pounds a year, to begin from the day he was cho- 
fen their minifter. And for refufing to pay it, 
about fourteen of the inhabitants were imprifoned 
at Briftol, one of whom was a member of a Baptift 
church in Newport. Thefe things produced much 
trouble in courts for two or three years, till the 
minifter was forced to leave the town, and the 
broils therein lafted for feveral generations. 

Tiverton and Dartmouth were the only remain-. 
ing towns in the province which had not received 



1723.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. %49 

any Congregational miniflers. Therefore a com- 
plaint againft them was made to their Legiflature 
in May, 1722, and they voted a falary for fuch 
minifters, to be affeffed upon all the inhabitants of 
faid towns, which the minifters were to draw out 
of the State treafury. But their Affeffors fent and 
obtained an account of how much was added to 
their tax on that account, and then left it out of 
their affeiTment. "For this, two Affeffors of each 
town were feized in May, 1723, and were imprif- 
oned at Briftol, until they fent to England, and 
got that ad difannulled by the king and council. 
One of thofe fufFerers was Philip Tabor, paftor of 
the Baptift church on the borders of Tiverton and 
Dartmouth. But before the order for their re- 
leafe arrived, two more Affeffors of Dartmouth 
were put in prifon, for not alleiling a like tax im- 
pofed for 1723 ; though upon the arrival of that 
order, they were releafed by an acl of the Legifla- 
ture here. Yet the minifters were fo far from 
yielding to thefe things, that they prefented a peti- 
tion to their Legiflators, in May, 1725, that they 
would call a fynod, to give their advice about 
what were the evils which caufed the judgments 
of Heaven upon the country, and what were the 
evangelical means which fliould be ufed to remove 
the fame, figned by Cotton Mather, in the name 
of the minifters affembled in their general conven- 
tion.* But the confideration of this petition was 
put off to the next meeting of their Legiflature. 

Epifcopalians fent an account of it to England, 
and a fharp reprimand was fent from the Britifli 
court to Lieutenant Governor Dummer, for giving 
any countenance thereto, as being an invaiion of 
the king's prerogative, who only could lawfully 
Gall fynods ; and a command to him to caufe fuch 
f^ meeting to ceafe, if it was convened, and to caiife 

* Hutchinfbn, vol. 2. p. 322, 



150 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.VIII. 

the chief aftors therein to be puniflied if they did 
not immediately difperfe. Before this. Dr. Increafe 
Mather died, Auguft 23, 1723, in the eighty-fifth 
year of his age, having been a preacher of the 
gofpel fixty-five years. We have before feen 
how he teftified againft the povi^er which minifters 
had affumed over the churches ; but his fon was fo 
fond of it, that when Governor Saltonftall died in 
1724, he preached a funeral fermon for him at Bof- 
ton, and got it printed at New-London. And he 
publilhed a book in 1726, in which he expreffed 
his refentment againft Mr. Wife for writing againft 
the propofals of 1705. Having mentioned that 
£our fynods had been called by authority in 
the MaiTachufetts, he fays, " The fynods of New- 
England know no weapons, but what are purely 
fpirituaL They have no fecular arm to enforce any 
canons ; they afk none ; they want none. And 
they cannot believe, that any proteftant fecular 
arm would, upon due information, any more for- 
bid their meetings, than they Vv^ould any of the re- 
ligious alTemblies upheld in the country.'** Yet 
many were baniftied upon the refult of the fynod 
of 1637, and the Baptift meeting-houfe in Bofton 
was nailed up, after the fynod of 1679. Yea, and 
he was now earneft to have Congregational min- 
ifters fupported by taxes impofed " in the king's 
name.*' He approved of the pradice of fome 
towns, who involved the falary for minifters in 
a general town tax ;t and there never was any 
law made here to exempt the Baptifts from taxes 
to Congregational minifters, until after Dr. Math- 
er died, February 13, 1728, aged 6^, 

But in May following, an ad was made to ex- 
empt the perfons of Baptifts and Quakers from 
fuch taxes, if they lived within five miles of their 

* An account of the difcipline in the churches of New-Eng- 
land, p. 172, 173, 184. 

f Ibid, p. 21, 22, 



1724O OF NEW-ENGLAND. 151 

refpeclive meetings, and ufually attended worfhip 
there on Lord's days ; of which they mufl give an 
account to their county courts in June annually, 
upon oath or affirmation, after which the clerk of 
each court was to give a lift of their names to the 
Affeffors of each town or precinct. In this, arbitra-, 
ry power was carried beyond what it was in Egypt; 
for Pharaoh faid, " Go ye, ferve the Lord ; only 
let your flocks and herds be ftayed.*' Let their 
polls be exempted, but their eftates and faculties 
taxed, faid the MalTachufetts. Herein they imitat- 
ed him ; but they went beyond him in two other 
points ; for Pharaoh faid, " Go not very far away ^'* 
but thefe allowed only five miles, though many of 
their parifhioners muft go much further than that 
to meeting, even to this day ; neither did Pharaoh 
require a lift of the people upon oath, as thefe did. 

Yet this fmall favour was denied to dilTenters in 
Rehoboth for this year ; and for refuling to pay a 
tax to Congregational minifters there, twenty- 
eight Baptifts, two Quakers, and two Epifcopalians 
were feized and imprifoned at Briftolj in March, 
1729. Though Governor Burnet and his council 
gave their opinion in favour of thefe people, yet 
they were confined in prifon till they or their 
friends paid the money. In the fall after, an act 
was paiTed to exempt their eftates as well as perfons, 
yet ftill under a five mile limitation. 

But we will gladly turn to more agreeable things; 
for although the majority of Congregational min- 
ifters were very corrupt, yet fome pf them were 
faithful and fuccefsful. In the beginning of 1705, 
fuch a revival of religion was granted at Taunton, 
in the county of Briftol, under the miniftry of Mr. 
Samuel Danforth, as turned the minds of moft of 
the inhabitants, from vain company and many im- 
moralities, to an earneft attention to religion, and 
the great cencerns of the foul and eternity ; and 
they had fomething of the fame nature at this time 



1S2 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIIL 

in Bofton.* In 1721, the Spirit of God was fo re- 
markably poured out upon the inhabitants of 
"Windham in Conneclicut, under the miniflry of 
Mr, Samuel Whiting, and fuch a great change was 
made, that fourfcore perfons were added to their 
communion in about half a year, for which they 
kept a day of public thankfgiving.f One curious 
event happened there, which I will mention. The 
word preached was fuch a looking-glafs to one 
man, that he feriouily went to Mr. Whiting, and 
told him he was very forry that fo good a minifter 
as he was fhould fo grofsly tranfgrefs the divine 
rule, as to tell him his faults before all the con- 
gregation, inflead of coming to deal with him pri- 
vately. The minifter fmiled, and faid he was glad 
that truth had found him out, for he had no par- 
ticular thought of him in his fermon. 

Norwich, ten miles from Windham, enjoyed 
much of the like blefling the fame year, from 
whence my pious mother dated her conver- 
fion. Bofton fhared fomething of the fame, when 
God in judgment remembered mercy for many ; 
for the fmall-pox came into the town in April, 
172 1, and prevailed through the year. It appear- 
ed to have happy effeds upon many minds, while 
it carried a large number into eternity. One in- 
ftance of converfion there I fhall mention. John 
Comer was born in Bofton, Auguft i, 1704, and 
fat under the miniftry of the Dr. Mathers. He was 
put out to learn a trade ; but he had fuch a defire 
for learning, that by the influence of Dr. Increafe 
Mather, he was taken from it, and put to fchool in 
December, 1720. He had ferious concern about 
his foul from time to time, until he had caught 
that diftemper ; and he fays, " Nothing but the 
ghoftly countenance of death, unprepared for, was 
before me, and no fight of a reconciled God, nor 

* Chridian Hiftory, vol. l. p. 108 — 1 12. f p. 130 — 134^ 



1724.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 153 

any fenfe of the application of the foul cleanfing 
blood of Chrift to my diftreffed foul. I remained 
in extreme terror, until November 22, 1721. All 
the interval of time I fpent in looking over the af- 
fairs of my foul ; and on that day I was taken fick. 
As foon as it was told me that the diftemper appear- 
ed, all my fears entirely vaniftied, and a beam of 
comfort darted into my foul, and with it fatisfac- 
tion from thofe words, * Thou fhalt not die, but 
live, and declare the works of the Lord/ Yea, fo 
great was my fatisfaction, that immediately I repli- 
ed, to my aunt who told me, then I know I fliall 
not die now ; but gave no reafon why I faid fo.'* 

He recovered, and purfued his learning at Cam-, 
bridge, where he joined to a Congregational church 
in February, 1723. Ephraim Crafts, his intimate 
friend, had joined to the Baptift church in Bofton 
juft before. This Comer thought to be a very 
wrong action, and took the firil opportunity he 
had to try to convince him of it ; but after conlid- 
erable debate. Comer was prevailed with to take 
Steennett upon baptifm, the reading of which gave 
a great turn to his mind. However, he concluded 
to be jfilent about it ; and as education was cheap- 
eft at New-Haven, he went and entered the College 
therein September, 1723, and continued a member 
of it until 0(5lober, 1724; when infirmity of body 
caufed his return to Bofton by water j and a terri- 
ble ftorm at fea, with the death of a dear , friend 
juft as he arrived, brought eternity fo dire<5tly be- 
fore him, as to fpoil his plaufible excufes for the 
neglect of baptifm. He informs us, that thofe 
words of Chrift, " Whgfoever fhall be aftiamed of 
me, and of my words, in this adulterous and finful 
generation, of him alfo ftiall thQ Son of Man be 
aftiamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Fa- 
ther, with the holy angels," had fuch influence 
upon him, that, after proper labours with thofe 
U 



154 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIH^ 

he was previouily connecled with, he was baptized, 
and joined to the Baptift church in Bofton, Janua- 
ry 31, 1725, and concluded to purfue his fludies in 
a private way. In May Following, he went to keep 
fchool in Swanfea, and was foon called to preach 
the gofpei in the firft church there ; and on May 19, 
1726, he was ordained a paftor of the firft church 
in Newport, colleague with elder Peckum. 

Mr. Peckum had been paftor of that church iix- 
teen years, but his gifts were fuiall, and he had but 
feventeen members in his church ; though fuch a 
bleffing was granted on the miniftry of Mr. Co- 
mer, that thirty-four were added to them in three 
years. They had no^ public finging, until he, with 
a bleffing, introduced it ; neither had they any 
church records, before he got a book, and coUed:- 
ed into it the bcft accounts that he could get of 
their former affairs. 

As it has been a common thing in all ages, when 
men have declined from the power of religion, to 
fix upon feme external pradice to fupply the want 
of it ; fo this was now evident among the Baptifts 
in thefe parts, and upon a very difputable point 
too. For in the law of Mofes, a great variety of 
wafliings or bathings were required, and alfo the 
laying on of hands upon the head of their facrifi- 
ees, as a token of their fins being laid thereon ; and 
this evidently pointed to laying our fins upon 
Chrift, who bare our fins in his own body on the 
tree. And thofe wafliings were a clear type of the 
wafhing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy 
Ghoft, which God fheds on us abundantly through 
Chrift Jefus our Saviour. All muft allow thefe 
to be foundation points. And the fame word 
that is rendered baptifms in the fixth chapter to 
the Hebrews, is rendered wafliings in the ninth ;^ 
and divers wafhings, and carnal ordinances there, 
refer moft certainly to Jewifti ceremonies. But the 
doftrine which was held forth in thofe wafliings, 



I 1728.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. . 155 

and laying on of hands, was evidently the doclrine 
of the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, and of our ac- 
ceptance with God by having our fins laid upon 
Chrift, who made atonement for them. 

But receiving it as a foundation principle in 
Chriftianity, that every believer muft pafs under 
laying on of hands after baptifm, in order to be re« 
ceived into church communion, caufed a leparation 
among the Baptifts in Newport and Providence in 
1652, which flill continued in Newport. And as 
Mr. Comer thought that feparation to be wrong, 
and yet that laying on of hands after baptifm was 
warrantable, he preached it up in that way, on 
November 17, 17 28, without firft acquainting his 
church with his being of this mind. There- 
fore two of the moft powerful members, who dif- 
liked his fearching preaching, took this as a handle 
to crowd him out of their church. This was a fore 
trial to him, but they prevailed to have him dif- 
miffed in January, 1729, and he then paiTed under 
hands, and was received into the fecond church in 
Newport, where he preached one half of the Lord's- 
days with elder Daniel Wightman for two years. 
A revival of religion began in that church a little 
before, and forty members were added to it in 
thofe two years, at the clofe of which they had 150 
members, being the largeft church in the colony. 
Governor Jenks then lived in Newport, and com- 
muned with that church, who fupported Comer 
liberally. In March, 1731, he went a journey into 
New-Jerfey, and as far as Philadelphia, and was 
greatly pleafed with the faith and order of the Bap- 
tift churches in thofe parts. 

Upon hig return, receiving an invitation from 
Rehoboth, he was difmified from Newport, 
and removed to Rehoboth in Auguft, where a 
church was formed, and he was inftalled their paf- 
tor, January ^6, 1732. In the mean time, Mr. John 
Callender from Bofton was ordained in the firfl: 



156 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. VIII. 

church in Newport, a colleague with elder Peckum, 
October 13, 1731. Alfo Mr. Nicholas Eyres, who 
came from England to New- York, was called to 
Newport, and was fettled as a colleague with elder 
Wightman the fame month. 

Mr. Eliftia Callender of Bofton had been fent for 
to Springfield, where he baptized feven perfons in 
July, 1727, and Mr. Comer vilited them in Octo- 
ber following^ and was there when the great earth- 
quake came on in the evening of the 29th of that 
month. After he was fettled in Rehoboth, he 
vifited the people in Sutton and Leicefter, in June, 
1732, and baptized eight perfons in thofe two 
towns, one of whom was Daniel Denny, Efq. who 
came from England. The next month he preach- 
ed in Middleborough, and baptized one man there. 
In November following, he baptized fifteen at 
home, in one day ; and before the clofe of 1733, 
his church had increafed to 95 members, befide 
many feals of his miniftry who joined to other 
churches* He was a fmall man, but of fprightly 
powers both of body and mind, and did much to- 
wards the revival of dodrinal and practical religion 
among the Baptifts ; and colleded many papers, 
and wrote many things that have been very fer- 
viceable in our hiftory. But his conftant labours 
and exertions in this noble caufe, wafted his vital 
ftrength, and he fell into a confumption, of which 
he died in Rehoboth, May 23, 1734? before he 
was thirty years old. Elder Ephraim Wheaton, 
paftor of the firft church in Swanfea, died the 26th 
of April before, aged ']^^ having two hundred 
members in his church. Thefe things I have care- 
fully colle<5led from various records and writings. 

On September 16, 1735, a Baptift church was 
formed in Sutton, and September 28, 1737, Benja- 
min Marfb and Thomas Green were ordained their 
joint paftors. But on September 28, 1738, by mu- 
tual agreement, the brethren at Leicefter became 



1738.3 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 157 

a church by themfelves, and Green their paftor. 
On November 4, 1736, a Baptift church was gath- 
ered in Brimfield ; and on November 4, 1741, 
EbenezerMoulton was ordained their paftor. March 
24, 17385 a century after the deed of Rhode Ifland 
was obtained of the Narraganfet Indians, Mr. John 
Callender delivered a fermon at Newport, which 
he publifhed with enlargements, containing the beft 
hiftory of that colony then extant. But his uncle 
at Bofton was taken away by death the laft day of 
that month ; and he finilhed his courfe in the hap- 
py manner following : March 21, he faid, " When 
I look on one hand, I fee nothing but fin, guilt and 
difcouragement ; but when I look on the other, I 
fee my glorious Saviour, and the merits of his 
precious blood, which cleanfeth from all fin. I 
cannot fay I have fuch tranfports of joy as fome 
have had, but through grace I can fay I have gotten 
the vidory over death and the grave. '* Being alk- 
ed what word of advice he had for his church, 
he earneftly replied, " Away with lukewarmnefs ! 
Away with fuch remiffnefs in attending the houfe 
of prayer, which has been a difcouragement to me, 
and I have been faulty myfelf." The Bofton Even- 
ing Poft of April 3, fays, " Friday morning laft, 
after a lingering ficknefs, deceafed the Reverend 
Mr. Eliftia Callender, minifter of the Baptift church 
in this town ; a gentleman univerfally beloved by 
people of all perfuafions, for his charitable and 
catholic way of thinking. His life was unfpotted, 
and his converfation always affable, religious, and 
truly manly. During his long illnefs he was 
remarkably patient, and in his laft hours (like the 
bleffed above) pacific and entirely ferene ; his fen- 
fes good to the laft. I/hall^ faid he, Jleep in Jefus^ 
and that moment expired." 

Mr. Comer gives us an account of the firft plant- 
ing of the Congregational churches in Rhode 
Ifland colony. Mr. Nathanael Clap from Dorchei- 



15S , A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.VIIL 

ter began to preach in Newport in 1695, ^^^ con- 
tinued his labours there, under many difcourage- 
ments, until a church was formed, and he was or- 
dained their pallor, November 3, 1720. But in 
1727, one Mr. John Adams, a young minifter, came 
and preached there ; and becaufe Mr. Clap would 
not confent to have him fettled as his colleague, a 
party council from the Maffachufetts divided the 
church, and Adams was ordained over a majority 
of the church, April 11, 1728 ; and Mr. Clap was 
fliut out of his meeting-houfe, and his people built 
another for him. But in about two years, Adams's 
people difmiffed him without a recommendation. 
Congregational minifters alfo took much pains to 
introduce their worfhip into Providence ; to pro- 
mote which, an aflbciation of minifters in and near 
Bofton, wrote to Governor Jenks, and other men 
of note in that town, Odober 27, 1721, and faid, 
*' With what peace and love focieties of different 
modes of worihip have generally entertained one 
another in your government, we cannot think of 
it without admiration ; and we fuppofe, under 
God, it is owing to the choice liberty granted to 
Proteftants of all perfuaiions, in the royal charter 
gracioufly given you ; and to the wife and prudent 
condud of the gentlemen that have been Governors 
and Juftices in your colony.'* And fo went on to 
defire them to countenance and encourage the 
preaching of their minifters among them. The 
town of Providence wrote an anfwer to them, Feb- 
ruary 23, 1722, iigned by Jonathan Sprague, 
wherein they fay, " This happinefs principally con- 
fifts in their not allowing focieties any fuperiority 
one over another ; but each fociety fupports their 
own miniftry, of their own free-will, and not by 
conftraint or force, upon any man's perfon or ef- 
tate ; and this greatly adds to our peace and tran- 
quillity. But the contrary, that takes any man's 
eftate by force, to maintain their own or any other 



1738.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 159 

miniftry, it ferves for nothing but to provoke to 
wrath, envy and ftrife/' And they went on to 
mention how fuch things were continued in their 
government. 

An anonymous reply to this was publilhed the 
fall after, which contained a mean reflexion againil 
Sprague's charader, without any thing that could 
vindicate their own conduct. In January, 1723, 
Sprague wrote a brief vindication of his character, 
and then faid, " Why do you ftrive to perfuade the 
rifing generation, that you never perfecuted nor 
hurt the Baptifts ? Did you not barbaroufly fcourge 
Mr. Obadiah Holmes, and imprifon John Hazel of 
Rehoboth, who died and came not home ? And 
did you not barbaroufly fcourge Mr. Baker, in 
Canlbridge, the chief mate of a London fhip ? 
Where alfo you imprifoned Mr. Thomas Gould, 
John Ruflell, Benjamin Sweetfer, and many others, 
and fined them fifty pounds a man. And did you 
not take away a part of faid Sweetfer's land, to pay 
his fine, and conveyed it to Solomon Phips, the 
Deputy- Govern or Danforth's fon in law, who after 
by the hand of God ran diftracled, dying fuddenly, 
faying he was bewitched ? And did you not nail 
up the Baptift meeting-houfe doors, and fine Mr. 
John Miles, Mr. James Brown, and Mr. Nicholas 
Tanner ? Surely I can fill fheets of paper with the 
fufferings of the Baptifts, as well as others, within 
your precinds ; but what I have mentioned fliall 
fufiice for the prefent." Mr. Sprague was a minif- 
ter for many years to a Baptift fociety, in the eaft 
part of Smithfield, then a part of Providence, 
where he died in January, 1741, aged 93. Mr. 
Comer knew him, and fpeaks of him as a very ju- 
dicious and pious man. 

A Congregational church was conftituted in 
Providence, and Mr. Jofiah Cotton was ordained 
their paftor, Odober 23, 1728. The year before, 
on Odober 29, 1729, about tenia the evening. 



i6o A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.VIIL 

came on the greateft earthquake that had then been 
known in this country, and great numbers were 
awakened thereby, in all parts of the land, many 
of whom appeared to be truly turned to God, 
though others foon forgot their danger. But 
greater things are before us, as to real reformation, 
and one inftrument of it deferves particular notice ; 
namely, Mr. Jonathan Edwards, who was born at 
Windfor in Connedicut, October 5, 1703 ; was 
educated at Yale College, and began to preach the 
gofpel in 1722, and was ordained at Northampton, 
colleague with his grandfather Stoddard, February 
15, 1727. Mr. Stoddard died February 11, 
1729, after having preached there about fixty 
years. He preached the clear doftrines of grace, 
and had great fuccefs in his miniftry, notwithftand- 
ing his opinion about terms of communion and 
church government, before defcribed. 

It was a low time among them for feveral years, 
until a revival of religion began in Northampton, 
in 1733, and it arofe fo high in the fpring of 1735, 
that Mr. Edwards entertained hopes that about 
thirty were converted in a week, for fix weeks to- 
gether ; fo that fcarce a grown perfon in the place 
remained unaffedled, and many children were ef- 
fectually called. The fame work was powerful in 
about twelve adjacent towns in the county of 
Hamplhire, and they had fomething of it in vari- 
ous parts of Connecticut. Mi*. Edwards wrote a 
narrative of this great work, in 1736, which was 
printed in England as well as America, and caufed 
great joy to many ; though it was but as dropping, 
before a plentiful ftiower, as will appear in the 
next chapter. 



1740.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. i6i 



CHAP. IX. 

T/je low Jl ate of religion in our land. — But a glorious 
revival was now granted ; and it fpread far. — Tet 
laws were made againft it in Conneilicut, and writings 
agairfl it in the Majachifetts^ though inconjiftent. — 
Mini/iers are punifhed by the General Court of Con-' 
ne6licut. — Some make ret rations* — But Preftdent 
Edwards condemns oppofers. 

A HE firft fathers of New-England held, that each 
believer (lands in the fame relation to his children 
as Abraham did to his, in the covenant of circum* 
cifion ; and therefore that each believer had a 
right to bring his children to baptifm, which no 
others had. But forty years after, a door was 
opened for thofe who had been baptized in infancy, 
and were not fcandalous, to bring their infants to 
baptifm, though none were to come to the ordi- 
nance of the fupper without a profeflion of faving 
grace. Yet in forty years more, an open plea was 
publiftied, before defcribed, for all baptized per- 
fons, who were not openly fcandalous, to come to 
the Lord's Supper, as well as to bring their chil- 
dren to baptifm. And in a third forty years, thefe 
things had turned the world into the church, and 
the church into the world in fuch a manner, as to 
leave very little difference between them. But as 
it is faid of falfe teachers, " They are of the world, 
therefore fpeak they of the world, and the world 
heareth them," fo it was generally in our land. 
I John, iv. 5. And in England the-«ieclenlion had 
gone fo far, that in 1736, bilhop Butler faid, " It 
is come, I know not how, to be taken for granted, 
by many perfons, that Chriftianity is not fo much 
as a fubjedl of inquiry ; but that it is now at length 
difcovered to be fictitious ^ and ' accordingly they 
W 



1 52 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IX. 

treat it as if in the prefent age this were an agreed 
point among all people of difcernment, and noth- 
ing remained but to fet it up as a principal fubje<El 
of mirth and ridicule, as it were by way of repri- 
fals, for its having fo long interrupted the pleafures 
of the world."* 

But \then the enemy was thus coming in like a 
flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifted up a ftandard 
againft him. Mr. George Whitefield, who was 
born in the city of Gloucefter, December i6, 1714, 
converted while in the univerfity of Oxford in 
1 733, and ordained in 1736, was wonderfully fur- 
nifhed with grace and gifts, to proclaim dodrinal 
and practical Chriftianity through the Britilh em- 
pire. He failed from England in December, 1737, 
to Georgia, and returned through Ireland to Eng- 
land in December, 1738. He embarked again for 
America in Auguft, 1739, and travelled and la- 
boured with great fuccefs, as far northward as 
New- York. He returned back to Georgia, 
from whence he went to South Carolina, and 
failed from thence to New-England, where he had 
been earneftly invited, and landed at Newport, 
September 14, 1740, and preached there three days, 
from whence he came to Bofton the 1 8th. Af- 
ter preaching there and near it many days, he 
went as far eaftward as Old York, to fee our excel- 
lent Moody ; and then he returned and preached 
at Bofton till Odtober 1 2, after which he went up 
weft ward to Northampton, to fee Mr. Edwards, 
and roufed the people there ; he then turned 
down by Hartford and New-Haven, and away to 
New- York, through New-Jerfey and Philadelphia, 
and embarked from Delaware Bay, December j, 
1740. And he then faid, " O my foul, look back 
with gratitude on what the Lord hath done for 
thee in this excurfion, I think it is the feventy- 

* Preface to his Analogy. 



i64o.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 163 

fifth day fince I arrived at Rhode Ifland. My 
body was then weak, but the Lord has much re- 
newed its flrengch. I have been enabled to preach, I 
think, one hundred and feventy-five times in public, 
belides exhorting frequently in private. I have 
travelled upwards of eight hundred miles, and got- 
ten upwards of feven hundred pounds fterling, in 
goods, provifions and money, for the Georgia or- 
phans. Never did God vouchfafe me greater com- 
forts. Never did I fee fuch a continuance of the 
divine prefence in the congregations to whom I 
have preached."* 

When he went through New-Jerfey, he prevailed 
with Mr. Gilbert Tennant to take a tour into this 
field, which was white already unto the harveft ; 
and he came to Bofton in December, and laboured 
in thefe parts till March, when he came round by 
Plymouth, Middleborough, Bridgwater, Taunton, 
Newport and Providence, and fo returned home 
through Connecticut. Both of them, in their 
preaching, laid open the dreadful danger of hypoc- 
rify, as well as profanenefs, and fpake as plainly 
againft unconverted miniflers and profeffors, as any- 
other fort of finncrs, and the effeds were exceeding 
great and happy. 

Some indeed tried to perfuade the world, that 
the great change then made in the land, was chiefly 
owing to the mechanical influence of their terrible 
words, geftures, and moving ways of addrefs. But 
Mr. Prince fays, " As to Mr. Whitefield's preach- 
ing, it was, in the manner, moving, winning and 
melting ; but the mechanical influence of this, ac- 
cording to the ufual operation of mechanical pow- 
ers, in two or three days expired, with many in two 
or three hours ; and 1 believe with the mofl; as foon 
as the found was over, or they got out of the houfe, 
or in the firft converfation they fell into. But with 

* Colledion of his Journals, p. 437. 



(i54 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IX. 

the manner of his preaching, wherein he appeared 
to be in earneji^ he delivered thofe vital truths which 
animated all our martyrs, made them triumph in 
flames, and led his hearers into the view of that 
vital, inward, active piety, which is the mere efFed 
of the mighty and fupernatural operation of a di- 
vine POWER on the fouls of men ; which only will 
fupport and carry through the fharpeft trials, and 
make meet for the inheritance of the faints in light." 
As to Mr. Tennant, he fays, " In private converfe 
with him I found him to be a man of confidcrable 
parts and learning; free, gentle, condefcending ; 
and from his own various experience, reading the 
moft noted writers on experimental divinity, as 
well as the Scriptures, and converfmg with many 
who had been awakened by his miniftry in New- 
Jerfey, where he then lived ; he feemed to have as 
deep an acquaintance with the experimental part 
iof religion as any I have converfed with, and his 
preaching was as fearching and roufing as ever I 
I heard. He feemed to have no regard to pleafe the 
eyes of his hearers with agreeable geftures, nor 
their ears with delivery, nor their fancy with lan- 
guage ; but to aim diredly at their hearts and con- 
fciences, to lay open their ruinous delulions, fhew 
them their numerous, fecret, hypocritical fhifts in 
religion, and drive them out of every deceitful 
refuge, wherein they made themfelves eafy with a 
form of godlinefs without the power."* 

Religion was much revived at Bofton, North- 
ampton, and other places in the fall and winter ; 
and in the two years following, the work fpread 
through moft parts of New-England, New- York, 
New-Jerfey, and Pennfylvania, beyond all that was 
ever known before in America. Several minifters, 
who were converted before, were now greatly 
quickened, and fpent much of their time in travel- 

* Chriftian Hiftory, vol. ii. p. 384 — 387. 



174x0 OF NEW-ENGLAND- 1^5 

ling and preaching in various parts of the land. 
Others, who had been blind guides before, were 
now fpiritually enlightened, and heartily joined in 
this great work ; three of them were Mr. William 
Hobby of Reading, Mr. John Porter of Bridgwa- 
ter, and Mr. Daniel Rogers, a tutor in Harvard 
College, who all acknowledged Mr Whitefield to 
be the inftrument of their converiion. A number 
of young fcholars alfo met with a change in thefe 
times, and came into the miniftry, in which they 
did much for the good of fouls. Religious 
meetings, and religious converfation, engaged the 
attention of a gre^t part of the people in mofl parts 
of the land. A reformation of life, confeffing 
their former faults, and making reftitution for in- 
juries done, were evident in many places 5 and a 
vaft number of all ages made a profeflion of reli- 
gion, and joined to the feveral churches where they 
lived. 

But a great majority of the minifters and rulers 
through the land dilliked this work, and exerted 
all their powers againft it ; and as many imper- 
fedions appeared therein, this gave them many 
plaufible excufes for fo doing. But Mr. Edwards 
delivered a fermon at New-Haven, in September, 
1 74 1, in which he well diftinguiflied between the 
marks of a true work of God, and all falfe appear- 
ances of it, which was printed and fpread through 
the nation, and was much efleemed. An anon- 
ymous anfwer to it was foon publiftied at Bofton, 
and many appeared againft the work in the Maf- 
fachufetts 5 but they could not get any law made 
againft it, as they did in Connecticut. 

Governor Talcot died there in Oclober, 1741, 
while their Legiflature was fitting, who then elect- 
ed another Governor, who was greatly in favour 
of minifterial power ; and they called a confocia- 
tion of minifters to meet at Guilford in Novem- 
ber, and they drew up a number of refolves, in 



i66 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IX. 

one of which they faid, " That for a minifter to 
enter into another minifter's parifti, and preach or 
adminifter the feals of the covenant, without the 
confent of, or in oppolition to the fettled minifter 
of the parifh, is diforderly," Mr. Robbins of Bran- 
ford had done fomething like it before at New-Ha- 
ven, for which others had reproved him, and he 
had made fome conceffions to them. In Decem- 
ber he received a letter from a Baptift minifter in 
Waliingford, informing him that Dr. Bellamy had 
preached to their fociety to mutual fatisfadion, 
and defiring that he would do the like. This re- 
queft appeared agreeable, and he appointed a meet- 
ing for the purpofe, January 6, 1742. But two 
days before that time, a deacon from Waliingford 
brought him a letter, iigned by 42 men in their 
town, and another Iigned by two minifters who 
lived by the way, defiring him not to go to preach 
to thofe Baptifts, without giving any reafon 
againft it, but their deiire. And as this did not 
appear to him a fufEcient reafon to violate his 
promife, and to difappoint a people who were de- 
lirous to hear the gofpel, he went and preached 
two fermons to them. Yet for this he was com- 
plained of as a diforderly perfon, to the confocia- 
tion of New-Haven county, February 9, He 
afked hov/ it could be diforderly, lince he preached 
to a particular religious fociety, at the requeft of 
their paftor. They anfwered, that it was not a 
lawful fociety, but a diforderly company. He re- 
plied, that Governor Talcot had advifed Waliing- 
ford collectors not to diftrain minifterial taxes 
from them ; and the authority fent them annual 
proclamations for Fafts and Thankfgivings, as to 
other focieties.* But they difregarded thefe rea- 
fons, and expelled him out of their confociation ! 

* That Baptift church in Waliingford was formed, and Mr. 
John Merriman was ordained their paftor, in 1739. 



1742.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 167 

This was about the time that Mr. David Brainard 
was expelled out of Yale College, who did the 
moft afterwards towards fpreading^ Chriftianity 
among the Indians of any man in our day. 
How far were the above adtions from a catholic 
behaviour towards the Baptiits, pretended to by 
many ! 

Thofe minifters procured a law to be made 
in May, 1742, wherein it was enabled, that if any 
fettled miniiler in their government fhould preach 
in the parifti of another without his confent, he 
fhould lofe all the benefit of their laws for his fup- 
port ; and that if any man who was not a fettled 
minifter, fliould go into any pariih and preach 
without fuch confent, he fhould be imprifoned un- 
til he gave an hundred pound bond not to do fo 
again ; and if any minifter came out of any other 
government, and preached without fuch confent, 
he fhould be taken up by authority, and carried as 
a vagrant perfon out of Connecticut. At the fame 
time they had an old law, by which every perfon 
was to be fined ten fhillings, who drew off from 
parifh minifters, and met for worlhip in a place fep- 
arate from them. What tyranny was this ! And 
though the MafTachufetts had no power to make 
fuch laws about preachers, yet faid Connecticut law 
was printed in a Bofton newfpaper, and many did 
all they could againft travelling minifters, and a- 
gainft the work in general. 

But Mr. Edwards publiihed a book on the other 
fide, in 1742; fhewing that the work then going 
on in the land was a glorious work of God ; the 
duty of all to acknowledge and promote it, and 
the great danger of the contrary ; wherein its 
friends had been injurioufly blamed ; what ought 
to be corrected among them, and what ought pofi- 
tively to be done to promote the work. This book 
was much efteemed in Europe as well as America, 
Yet Dr. Charles Chauncy of Bofton was fo much 



i68 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.IX. 

difpleafed with it, that he fet oiF and travelled 
through the country, as far as Philadelphia, picking 
up all the evils that he could find, and fome reports 
that were not true, concerning the work, and pub- 
lifhed them in 1743, as an anfwer to Edwards. In 
an introduction of above thirty pages, he tries to 
prove that this work was carried on by the fame 
fpirit and errors that were condemned by the fynod 
of 1637. But what has been before recited, and 
much more that might be produced, plainly fhews 
the contrary. He then fpends about three hundred 
pages upon what he calls, " things of a bad and 
dangerous tendency, in the late religious appear- 
ances in New-England." And the firft thing which 
he fo calls, is itinerant preaching, which he fays 
had its rife in thefe parts from Mr. Whitefield, who 
was followed by Mr. Tennant, and others. And 
before he cited any Scripture againft it, he mention- 
ed their law againft it in Connecticut, which he ob- 
ferved had been printed in one of the Bofton pa- 
pers. After which he produced what is faid in the 
Scriptures concerning idle, diforderly walkers, who 
eat the bread of others for naught. 1 Theff. iii. 
6 — 1 1 . And then he mentioned the caution againft 
being bufybodies in other men's matters, i Peter, 
iv. 1 5. But this could not anfwer his turn, with- 
out mending the tranflation, and obferving that the 
word bufybody, is epifcopos^ which is often tranflat- 
ed biftiop ; and the evil here warned againft, he 
fays, is " One that plays the bifhop in another's 
diocefs."* But it is well known, that the word 
means an overfeer, and is fo rendered in Afe xx. 
28. A bufybody then is an overfeer in the affairs 
of others, and in the two Scriptures which he pro- 
duced, it is applied to Chriftians in general, and is 
not confined to minifters. All fliould take heed 
that they do not intermeddle with the affairs of 

* Chauncy's Thoughts, p. 36 — 42. 



1743-] OF NEW-ENGLAND. i6g 

others, which do not belong to them. Two other 
Scriptures he brings which belong to minifters, 
that condemn the commending of themfelves, and 
entering into the line of others, and the building 
upon another man's foundation. 2 Cor. x. 12 — 17. 
Rom. XV. 20. And thefe are his Scriptures to prove, 
that a minifter ought not to preach in any parilh 
where another was fettled by the laws of men, 
without his confent.* But all ought to know, 
that the line of conduct which God has drawn in 
his word, and the foundation which he has laid for 
his church, is as high above all eftablifhments for 
worfhip by human laws, as heaven is above the 
earth. And the reader will judge whether the 
above application of thofe Scriptures to worldly 
eftablifhments, is not corrupting the word of 
God. For travelling preachers of the gofpel 
through the world, were the great means that God 
made ufe of, to lay the foundation of the Chriftian 
church, in the apoftolic age. And travelling 
preaching hath often been bleifed for the good of 
fouls in every age, and in every country where 
the gofpel has come. 

Another thing which Dr. Chauncy complains 
of, as of a dangerous tendency, is a fpirit of rafh 
and cenforious judging ; this he fays firft appeared 
in Mr. Whitefield, who feldom preached, but he 
had fomething or other in his fermon againft un- 
converted minifters. Chauncy fays, " I freely 
confefs, had the minifters of New-England loft 
their character as men of religion, by a deport- 
ment of themfelves contradidory to the gofpel, I 
fhould have found no fault with any reprefenta- 
tio^s of them as bad men ; nay, dangerous ene- 
mies to the kingdom of Chrift : for I am clearly 
of the mind, that a vifibly wicked miniftei: is the 

*P. 43— 45. 
X 



170 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IX, 

greateft fcandal to religion, and plague to the 
church of God ; nor is it a hurt, but a real fervice 
to the caufe of Chrift, to expofe the characters of 
fuch, and lelTen their power to do mifchief."* But 
to prove that their character was good, he recites 
the words of Dr. Cotton Mather, who faid, " No 
man becomes a minifter in our churches, till he 
firfl be a communicant ; and no man becomes a 
communicant, until he hath been feverely examined 
about his regeneration^ as well as his converfa- 
tion."t 

But when was it fo ? This teftimony was pub- 
iilhed in 1696; but four years after Mr. Stoddard 
publiftied his opinion, that if men were not openly 
fcandalous, they ought to come to communion in 
the church, though they knew themfelves to be un- 
regenerate ; and this opinion had fpread over the 
whole country before Mr. Whitefield came into it. 
Nay, Dr. Chauncy himfelf faid afterwards^ *' The 
divinely appointed way, in which perfons become 
members of the vilible church of Chrift, is utterly 
inconfiftent with the fuppolition, that, in order to 
their being fo, they muft be fubjedts oifaving faith ^ 
or judged to be fo.''j So that out of his own 
mouth he is condemned. 

V An uncharitable and cenforious fpirit is ever to 
be watched againft, much of which appeared in 
that day among all orders of men. And Dr. 
Chauncy difcovered a large fhare of it, and he pub- 
lifhed many cenfures of others, and of feme in 
high authority. Governor Law of Connedicut, 
in a proclamation for their annual faft, February 1 6, 
1743, called all his fubjeds to confefs and be hum- 
bled for their fins, which he faid were, " The great 
negledt and contempt of the gofpel and the minif- 
try thereof, and the prevailing of a fpirit of error^ 

* Page 140, 14T. 
f Page 142. X Sermons on breaking of bread, p. 106. 



1743-] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 171 

ctiforder, unpeaceablenefs, pride, bitternefs, uncliar- 
itablenefs, cenforioufnefs, difobedience, calumnia- 
ting and reviling of authority ; divilions, conten- 
tions, reparations and confuiions in churches ; in- 
juftice, idlenefs, evil fpeaking, lafcivioufnefs, and 
all other vices and impieties which abound among 
us." This Chauncy has inferted in his book.* 
This proclamation was publiihed £0 early as to 
have influence in their eledion of rulers ; and 
Deacon Hezekiah Huntington of Norwich, who 
had been one of their council three years, was 
then left out of it, and a man was elected in his 
room, who had fent men to prifon for preaching 
and exhorting the year before. Huntington had 
been greatly engaged in the reformation then go- 
ing on in the land, and he continued ftedfaft there- 
in all his days. 

A new church had been formed in New-Haven, 
and another at Milford, which had been tolerated 
by their county court, and they had put themfelves 
under the care of a prefbytery in New-Jerfey. 
But the Legiflature that met at Hartford in May, 
1743, enacted, "That thofe commonly calleft pref- 
byterians or congregationalills (hall not take bene- 
fit of the ad of toleration." And they alfo declar- 
ed that no other diffenters from the eftablifhed 
way of worfhip, but fuch as Ihould " Before the 
Aflembly take the oaths and fubfcribe the declara- 
tion provided in the act of Parliament, in cafes 
of like nature, ihould be tolerated." Mr. John 
Owen of Groton, was complained of for preaching 
againft their laws in April before ; therefore he 
was ordered to be brought before the Legiflature 
at their next feflion. 

In the mean time a Prefbyterian minifter was 
fent from the Jerfeys, to preach to faid focieties in 
Gilford and New-Haven j and for preaching at 

^ ^is Thoughts, p. 295, 296. 



172 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. IX. 

Milford, he was taken up by authority, and carried 
as a vagrant perfon out of their government. But 
when he was let go, he came back and preached at 
New-Haven. And as the people concealed him on 
week days, an officer came on a Lord's day morn- 
ing and feized him at their meeting-houfe door, 
and carried him away. Yet he returned again and 
preached to the people ; an account of which was 
laid before their Legiflature in October following, 
when it was enafted, that any minifter who Ihould 
do fo again, fhould be imprifoned until he fhould 
give an hundred pound bond not to do fo any 
more. Such was their treatment of a minifter of 
Chrift, whofe name and title fince was Samuel 
Finley, D. D. Prelident of New-Jerfey Col- 
lege. 

As Mr. Owen avoided being taken, and like 
complaints were exhibited againft Mr. Pomroy, 
both were ordered to be brought before the Affem- 
bly the next May. Accordingly, at their meeting 
at Hartford, May lo, 1744, Owen came with an 
humble confeffion, and they forgave him, he pay. 
ing cofts. Pomroy was brought, and ftood trial 
for fome hours ; but he was condemned, and or- 
dered to be committed, till he would pay cofts, 
and bind himfelf for one year, in a recognizance 
of fifty pounds, not to offend again in like man- 
ner. He then yielded to their requirements. And 
Mr. James Devenport, who had gone as far in 
condemning the fettled minifters, and in promote 
ing feparations from them, as any minifter in 
thefe parts, wrote a retradion of tLofe things, and 
fent it to Bofton, where Mr. Prince publiflied it, in 
September, 1 744.* After which, fcarce any fettled 
minifter in New-England ventured to preach in 
any parifli, without the confent of the fettled min- 
ifter, 

* Chrifllan Hiflory, vol. 3. p. 237—240. 



1744.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 173 

Yet Mr. Edwards had before faid, " If minifters 
preach never fo good dodrine, and are never fo 
painful and laborious in their work, yet if at fuch a 
day as this, they fhew to the people, that they are 
not well affected to this work, but are very doubt- 
ful and fufpicious of it, they will be very likely to 
do their people a great deal more hurt than good : 
for the very fame of fuch a great and extraordinary 
work of God, if their people were fuffered to be- 
lieve it to be his, and the example of other towns, 
together with what preaching they might hear oc- 
calionally, would be likely to have a much greater 
influence upon the minds of the people, to awaken 
and animate them in religion, than all their labours 
with them. And we that are minifters, by looking 
on this work from year to year, with a difpleafed 
countenance, fhall eifeclually keep the fheep from 
their pafture, inftead of doing the part of fliepherds 
to them, by feeding them ; and our people had a 
great deal better be without any fettled minifter at 
all, at fuch a day as this. — The times of Chrifl's 
remarkably appearing in behalf of his church, and 
to revive religion, and advance his kingdom in the 
world, are often fpoken of in the prophecies of 
Scripture, as times wherein he will remarkably ex- 
ecute judgment on fuch minifters or fhepherds, as 
do not feed the flock, but hinder their being fed, 
and fo deliver his flock from them, as Jeremiah 
xxiii. Ezekiel xxxiv. Zecb. x. Ifaiah xlvi. &c/'* 
How folemn are thefe confiderations ! And w^e 
have before feen, that Dr. Increafe Mather in the 
year 1700, faid, " If the began apoftacy fliould pro- 
ceed as faft, the next thirty years, as it has done 
thefe laft, furely it will come to that in New-Eng- 
land, that the moft confcientious people therein will 
think themfelves concerned to gather churches out 

* Edwards' Thoughts, 1742, p. 133 — 136. 



174 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.X. 

of churches." And though he knew not the exaft 
time, yet this came to pafs in forty-five years, in the 
following manner. 



Of Canterbury feparation. — AJfociation letter againjl it. 
— But feparations multiply, though perfecuted, — The 
work at Middleborough, — Of Preftdent Edwards, — 
Of Mr, Whitefeld, — Rohhins perfecuted^ hut deliver* 
ed. — Sufferings at Norwich and Canterbury, 



R. Elifha Paine was born in Eaftham, on Cape 
Cod, and was well inftrucled in the principles of 
the firft church in Plymouth, and was well eftab- 
lilhed therein. His father removed his family to 
Canterbury, in Connedicut, and was one of the 
meii who formed a church there in 171 1. He had' 
four fons, whom he brought up in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord j and they appeared to be 
acquainted with experimental religion. His fon 
Elilha was become one of the greateft lawyers in 
Connedicut, and was much profpered in the 
world, before the law was made in 1742, to im- 
prifon men for preaching the gofpel ; but he then 
quitted their courts, and went forth preaching the 
gofpel through the land. The church in Can- 
terbury was then without a pallor ; and on Janu- 
ary 27, 1743, they voted to adhere to the Cam- 
bridge platform inftead of that of Saybrook. Soon 
after, Mr. Elifha Paine fet off in preaching the gofpel 
to the northward ; but for preaching in Wood- 
flock, which then belonged to the Maffachufetts, 
he was taken up, in February, and was fent to 
Worcefter jail, under pretence of his breaking a 
law againft mocking or mimicking of preach- 
ing. But four miniliers in Connecticut, being ii|« 



1744.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 175 

formed of it, gave a certificate, that they efteemed 
him to be qualified to preach the gofpel. In May 
the court at Worcefter were forced to releafe him, 
as having been imprifoned without law ; and he 
went round preaching the gofpel for about a fort- 
night, and then returned home. On July 8, he 
fet off again, and travelled to Providence, Briftol, 
Bofton, Cambridge, and as far northward as Dun- 
ftable and Lancafter, preaching with great power. 
He returned home December 3, having preached 
244 fermons, as appears by his journal. In June, 
1744, he went and preached at Eaftham and Har- 
wich, which caufed a feparation, and then a Baptift 
church in Harwich. Upon his return to Canter- 
bury, a divifion took place there in the following 
manner : The parifti had called a young minifler 
to preach to them, by whom moft of the church 
were not edified. The pariih therefore called a 
committee of their affociation in Auguft to give ad- 
vice in the cafe. Mr. Paine was requefted to give 
them his objections againfl: faid candidate ; but he 
would not, becaufe they were not called by the 
church. Another member gave them a copy of 
the vote of the church againfl him, which they 
called the ad of the aggrieved part of the church ; 
and they advifed the parifh to go on and fettle faid 
candidate. For this, Mr. Paine wrote to one of 
thofe minifters in September a fliarp reproof for 
wronging the truth in calling that a part of the 
church, which was the church itfelf. Upon this 
he was feized and imprifoned at Windham before 
the month was out, for preaching in Windham the 
fpring before, without the confent of pariih minif- 
ters. Mr. Paine gave bonds to the jail-keeper, fo 
as to have liberty to preach in the yard ; and he 
foon had fo large a congregation to hear him, that 
his perfecutors found they weakened their own 
caufe by confining him there. They therefore re- 
leafed him about October 19. 



jj6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. X. 

In the mean time, as the church in Canterbury 
had no other way to avoid hearing a man who did 
not edify them, they withdrew from their meeting- 
houfe, and met at another houfe. And John and 
Ebenezer Cleaveland, members of it, as they alfo 
were of Yale College ; being at home in vacation 
time, met for worfhip with their own church ; but 
for nothing but fo doing they were expelled from 
the college. And Mr. Paine was repeatedly cited 
to appear before the minifters of that county, to 
anfwer to complaints they had received againft 
him ; but he knew them too well to fubmit him- 
felf to their power. Twelve of them met in No- 
vember, and publiflied a teilimony againft him in a 
newfpaper. And near all the minifters in Wind- 
ham county met and publiflied a letter to their peo- 
ple, dated December 1 1 , 1 744, figned by Jofeph 
Coite, Ebenezer Williams, Jofeph Meacham, Sam- 
uel Dorrance, Solomon Williams, Jacob Eliot, 
Marfton Cabot, Samuel Mofely, Ephraim Avery, 
Ebenezer Devotion, Eleazer Wheelock, Abel Stiles, 
Stephen White, John Bafs, Richard Salter, Wil- 
liam Throope. They brought Deut. xiii. i — 3. as 
a warning to their people againft hearing Mr. Paine 
and his brethren, and then faid, " The cafe here 
fuppofed is an attempt to draw the people to idola« 
try, and this, you will fay, is not your cafe. 
Thefe prophets and dreamers endeavour to draw 
you to Chrift, and not from him ; but then they 
endeavour to draw you from his inftitutions, to a 
way of worfhip which he has not inftituted. 
Though the cafe is not fo ftrong, yet the argument 
againft your compliance is the fame ; for whatfo- 
ever worftiip God has not inftituted and directed 
in his word, is falfe worfhip, and therefore if there 
feem to be never fo many appearances of God's 
power attending it, you may not go after it, any 
more than after a falfe god."* 

* Aflbciation letter, p. 43. 



1 745-] C)F NEW-ENGLAND. 177 

Upon which we may obferve, that Chrift calls 

the field the world, and fays of the wheat and tares, 

" Let both grow together until the harveft.*' But 

he fays to his church, "Put away from among your- 

felves that wicked perfon/' Yet thefe minifters 

held the field to be the church, and that Chrift 

would not let his fervants root up the tares, " evert 

when they appear ed.^^* But how far is fuch wor- 

fhip from the infiituted church of Chrift ! Yea, 

while they were for having the tares grow in the 

church, they would not let the children of Go,d 

grow peaceably in the world, but took up andim- 

prifoned many of them. 

On November 27, 1744, the church of Can- 
terbury met, and fixteen members againft twenty- 
three, voted to fend for their confociation to come 
and ordain the candidate whom the parifh had 
chofen ; and they met there for that purpofe on 
December 26 ; but not having the majority of the 
church for him, they could not proceed according 
to their own laws. At length they called the par- 
iih together, and got them to vote, that they were 
willing their Legiflature fhould fet off" thofe who 
did not choofe their candidate, as a diftincl relig- 
ious fociety ; and fo went on and ordained him as 
the minifter of that parifh. But as the church did 
not defire any new incorporation by the laws of 
men, but only petitioned to be exempted from 
taxes to a minifter they never chofe, their petition 
was difregarded, their goods were torn away, or 
their perfons imprifoned for his fupport for fifteen 
years, without the ieaft compaflion from the minif- 
ters who acled in that ordination. Thefe, and many 
other things, moved a number of teachers and 
brethren to meet at Mansfield, Odober 9, 1745, 
and form a new church ; and they elected Mr* 

* Page 21, 



ij% A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. X, 

Thomas Marfli of Windham to be their paftor, and 
appointed his ordination to be on January 6, 1746. 
But he was feized the day before, and was imprif- 
oned at Windham, for preaching without leave 
from parifh minifters. On the day he was to have 
been ordained, a large affembly met, to whom Mr. 
Elifha Paine preached a good fermon, at the clofe 
of which about thirteen parilli minifters came up, 
and tried all their influence to fcatter that flock, 
whofe fhepherdhad been fmitten; though, inftead of 
it, they elecfled and ordained Mr. John Hovey as 
their paftor the next month. Mr. Marfli was con- 
fined in prifon till June, and then their court re- 
leafed him, and in July he was ordained as a col- 
league with Mr. Hovey ; and many fuch churches 
were foOn after formed and organized.* 

What our Lord fays about putting a piece of 
new cloth into an old garment, and new wine into 

* Mr. Salomon Paine was ordained at Canterbury, Sep- 
tember 10 ; Thomas Stevens at Plainfield, September 11 ; Tho- 
mas Dennifon at Norwich farms, 06lober 29 ; Jedidiah Hide at 
Norwich town, Odtober 30 ; Matthetv Smith at Stonington, De- 
cember 10 ; John Fuller at Lyme, December 25 ; Joleph Snow 
at Providence, February 12, 1747 ; Samuel Wadfworth at 
Killingly, June 3 ; Paul Park atPrefton, July 15 ; Elihu Marfi^ 
at Windham, Oi5lober 7 ; Ebenezer Frothingham at Weatherf- 
field, Odober 28 ; Nathanael Shepard in Attleborough, Janua- 
ry 20, 1748 ; Ifaac Backus at Bridgwater, April 13 ; John 
Paine at Rehoboth, Auguft 3 ; W'lUiam Carpenter at Norton, 
September 7 ; John Blunt at Sturbridge^ September 28 ; 
Ebenezer Mack -Sit Lyme, January 12, 1749 ; Jofliua Nickerfon 
at Harwich, February 23; Samuel Hide at Bridgwater, May 
II ; John Palmer at Windham, May 17 ; Samuel Ho'vey at 
Mendon, May 3 1 ; Samuel Drown at Coventry, Otftober 1 1 ; 
Stephen Babcock at Wefterly, April 4, 1750; Jofeph Hajlings 
at SufReld, April 17 ; Nathanael Ewer at Barnftabl^, May 10 ; 
Jofhua Morfe at New-London, May 17 ; Jonathan Hide at 
Brookline, January 17, 1751 ; Ezekiel Cole at Sutton, Janua- 
ry 31 ; Ebenezer Wadfworth at Grafton, March 20 j Shubael 
Stearns at Tolland, March 20 ; Nathanael Draper at Cam- 
bridge, April 24; Peter Werden at Warwick, May 17, &c; 

Thofe in Italic became Baptifts afterwards ; Drewn, Bab- 
cock, Morfe, Stearns, Draper and Werden were fo before. 



174 7-] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 179 

old bottles, was remarkably verified at this time. 
Great numbers of young converts had joined to 
their old churches ; but a regard to the pure laws 
of Chrift, from the new wine of love to God and 
love to men, could not be contained in churches 
which were governed by the laws and inventions 
of men, obeyed from the love of worldly honour 
and gain, or a delire to get life by their own do- 
ings, any more than a piece of new cloth could 
agree with an old garment, or new wine could be 
contained in old bottles. Inftead of it, the rent 
was made worfe, or the bottles were broken. 

The confociation of Windham county met in Jan- 
uary, 1747, and received accounts of thefe tranfac- 
tions, and then adjourned a month, and fent cita- 
tions to Mr. Paine, and others of thofe miniflers, to 
appear before the lawful miniflers of their parifhes, 
or a committee of their council, to offer what they 
had to fay in vindication of themfelves. But they 
were far from an inclination to fubmit themfelves 
t6 fuch judges. When faid confociation met again, 
they publifhed a copy of the confefEon of faith and 
covenant of the new church in Mansfield, and their 
objedions againfl the fame, and their judgment 
againfl all thofe new churches, and got thefe things 
printed at Boflon, in a pamphlet of 22 octavo pa- 
ges. To thefe means were added the imprifon- 
ment of Mr. Frothingham five months, Mr. John 
Paine eleven months, and Mr. Palmer four months, 
all at Hartford, for preaching without the confent 
of parifh miniflers. Mr. Solomon Paine fufFered 
imprifonment alfo at Windham for a fortnight, on 
the fame account, and many others fufFered the 
like. And three gentlemen, only for being mem- 
bers and deacons in thefe feparate churches, were, 
at different times, expelled out of their Legiflature, 
namely, Captain Obadiah Johnfon, of Canterbury, 
Captain Thomas Stevens, of Plainfield, and Cap. 



i8o A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. X. 

tain Nathan Jewet, of Lyme. But overftraining 
their power weakened it, and it began to decline ; 
for Deacon Hezekiah Huntington v^as again 
elected into their council at Hartford in May, 1 748 ; 
and he continued in that office, and was alfo Judge 
of Probate, and Chief Judge of their County Court, 
until he died in 1773. Thefe things were done in 
Connedicut ; but we niuft now return to the af- 
fairs of the Mailachufetts. 

Mr. Peter Thatcher was the third minifler of 
Middleborough, where he began to preach in 1707, 
and he was much engaged in that work, efpecially 
in and after the glorious year 1741 ; and his fuccefs 
was fo great, that there were above three hundred 
and forty communicants in his church when he di- 
ed, April 22, 1744.* But the parifh committee, 
diredlly after his death, exerted all their influence 
againfl the chui^ch, about calling another minifler. 
And when the church had voted to hear Mr. Syl- 
vanus Conant four Sabbaths upon probation, the 
parifh committee went and got another man to 
preach there the fame days ; fo that the church 
withdrew, and met at another place till his proba- 
tion time was out, and then elected him for their 
paftor, and prefented their choice to the parifh. 
Upon this, faid committee made a new regulation 
of voters, wherein they excluded feven or eight 
old voters, and made about nineteen new ones ; 
and they negatived the choice of the church. But 
the church fent for a council of five other churches 
to fettle the matter ; and by their help Mr. Conant 
was ordained their paftor, March 28, 1745. Yet 
lefs than a quarter of the church called themfelves 
the ftanding part of it, and went on and ordained 
another minifter the next October, and held the 
old houfe and minifterial land, and taxed all the 
parifh for his fupport. The church built another 

* Chriftian Hiftory, vol. ii, p, 77^^79? 99» 



1 747-] OF NEW-ENGLAND. i8i 

meeting-houfe, and went on to fupport their min- 
ifter ; but fuch a party fpirit prevailed, even in 
their Legiflature, that they couid get no relief from 
thence in about four years. Though fuch a turn 
was then made, that the parifli was divided into 
two promifcuouily, and each man had liberty to 
choofe which he would be of, and each was to fup- 
port his own minifler. When this liberty was 
obtained, the oppofmg party were foon fick of the 
triinifter they had ordained, and ufed violence 
againft him until they got him away, and obtained 
a dilTolution of their fociety^ Does not this, as 
well as the experience of Canterbury, (hew the 
great evil of allowing the world to govern the 
church about religious minifters ? 

And where church and world are one, it is no 
better, as now appeared at Northampton. The 
excellent Mr. Edwards was fettled there, with his 
grandfather Stoddard, upon the opinion that the 
Lord's Supper was a converting ordinance, and he 
had gone on fifteen years in that way, until he was 
fully convinced that it was contrary to the word of 
God ; and he alfo found that gofpel difcipline 
could not be pradlifed in fuch a way. No foon- 
cr was his change of mind difcovered, in 1744, 
than moft of his people were inflamed againft him, 
and never would give him a hearing upon the rea- 
fons of his change of fentiments j but they were 
refolute to have him difmiiTed, As he could 
not get them to hear him preach upon the fubjecl, 
he printed his thoughts upon it, in 1749, though 
moft of them would not read his book. In it he 
fays, " that baptifm, by which the primitive con^ 
verts were admitted into the church, was ufed as 
an exhibition and token of their being vilibly re- 
generated, dead to fin, and alive to God. The 
faintfliip, godlinefs and holinefs of which, accord- 
ing to Scripture, profefiing Chriftians and viiible 
faints do make a profeflion and have a vifibility, is 



i82 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. X. 

not any religion and virtue that is the refult of 
common grace, or moral lincerity (as it is called) 
hut fdving grace.*' And to prove this, he referred 
to Rom. ii. 29. vi. i — 4. Pljil. iii. 3. Col. ii. 1 1, 1 2.* 
Though he did not deiign it, yet many others 
have been made Baptifts by the fame Scriptures, and 
the fame ideas from them. But Mr. Stoddard's 
doclrine had prevailed fo far in that part of 
the country, that in all the county of Hamp- 
Ihire, which then included all our ilate weft 
of Worcefter county, not lefs than fixty miles 
wide and feventy miles long, there were but 
three minifters who did not hold that doctrine ; 
and the church at Northampton denied Mr. Ed- 
wards the liberty of going out of that county, 
for any of thofe whom he was to choofe to fet- 
tle their controverfy. At laft they yielded that he 
might go out of that county for two, as each party 
was to choofe five. But when the council met, in 
June, 1750, one of the churches whom Mr. Ed- 
wards fent to, had fent no delegate to the council, 
though their minifler came and aded in the council, 
fo that by the majority of one vote, Mr. Edwards 
was feparated from the flock he dearly loved. 
Thus one of the beft men in our land was rejected 
from his place and employment, only for coming 
into the belief that a profellion of faving faith was 
neceffary in all who came into communion in the 
church of Chrift. But as this was evidently a good 
caufe, fo God was v/ith him in it, fo that he after- 
wards wrote a book which opened the true nature 
of the liberty of the will of moral agents, beyond 
any thing that ev^er was publifhed in latter 
ages ; and that and many other works of his are 
{till greatly efteemed in Europe, as well as America. 
He was very ufeful in the miniftry, until he 
died Prefident of New-Jerfey College, March 22^ 
1758, in his 56th year. 

* Ovi a right to Sacraments, p. 20 — 23, 



1743.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. iSfj 

Mr. Whitefield came a fecond time into NeW- 
England, in the fall of 1744 ; when fuch oppofition 
appeared againft him, as never was feen before 
againft any minifter of the gofpel in our land. The 
Corporation of Harvard College foon publifhed a 
teftimony againft him, which was followed with 
one from an ailbciation of minifters at Weymouth, 
and another at Marlborough, with a third in the 
county of Barnftable, befides many individuals ; 
and in February, 1745, Yale College did the like, 
and reprefented that he intended to root out all the 
ftanding minifters in our land, and to introduce 
foreigners in their ftead. This was fo oppofite to 
truth, that all his life was evidently fpent in labour- 
ing for the converiion and edification of precious 
fouls, while he left the building and government of 
churches to others ; though when perfons were 
brought to a faving knowledge of Chrift, they 
could not be eafy under teachers who were ftran- 
gers to him, for he fays, " A ftranger will they not 
follow, but will flee from him ; for they know not 
the voice of ftrangers.'* And if many minifters in 
our land had not been ftrangers to Chrift, how 
could they have acled as they did ? 

Thofe who had caft Mr. Robbins out of their 
confociation, for preaching to the Baptifts without 
their confent, could not let him alone ; becaufe 
while he continued a paftor of the firft church in 
Branford, and yet was not with them, it weaken- 
ed their power. Therefore in May, 1743, they re- 
ceived a complaint againft him,ftgned by fix of his 
people ; and they appointed a committee to go to 
him upon it, before he knew who the complainants 
were, or what they complained of. But when he 
found who they were, he went and gave them fat- 
isfadlion, and they wrote an account of it to faid 
committee, but they would come, and infifted up- 
on it, that Mr. Robbins muft go and be reconciled 
to their affociation. This he tried for without fuc- 



1 84 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. X. 

cefs. Yet, feeing what a ftorm was gathering, he 
drew three contellions, and went to another of 
their meetings, and offered them, wherein he went 
as far as he could towards giving them fatisfaclion, 
fliort of confeffing that he broke the law of God in 
preaching to thofe Baptifts as he did. But as he 
could not in confcience confefs that, they rejected 
all his confeffions. And in May, 1745, they re- 
ceived a larger complaint againft liim, without his 
having any previous notice of it, and another com- 
mittee was fent to him, who prevailed with him 
to go and offer a fourth confeflion to their affocia- 
tion, wherein he pleaded that his ignorance of its 
being a crime to preach to the Baptifts as he did, 
might apologize for him, fo that a reconciliation 
might be effected with them, and among his peo- 
ple. But they refufed to be fatisfied with any 
thing fliort of his confeiling that he broke the law 
of God in preaching to the Baptifts againft their 
confent. He then went home and laid this con- 
feflion before his fociety, who voted that it was fuf- 
ficient, and they deflred him to continue in the 
miniftry with them, and alfo that no councils or 
committees might be fent there again without 
their requeft. And his church met November 4, 
1745, and renounced the Saybrook platform, and 
faid, " We receive the Scriptures of the Old and 
New Teftament, as the only perfect rule and plat- 
form of church government and difcipline ;'* 
though they did not renounce fellowfliip wuth the 
confociated churches. 

This was worfe in their view than all he had 
done before ; and a much larger complaint was re- 
ceived againft him than before, and a confociation 
was appointed to try it at Branford, September 30, 
1746 ; and Mr. Robbins was required "in the name 
of Chrift'' to appear before them. But he drew an 
anfwer to each article of their complaint, and laid 
them before his church, who chofe a committee to 



1748.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 185 

lay a copy of their former votes before the confo- 
ciation, and earneftly to deny their jurifdidion 
over them. This was accordingly done ; yet they 
refolved that Mr. Robbins was under their jurif- 
didion, and went on to hear accufations againft 
him in his abfence, and to condemn him in ten 
articles of his public teaching, without naming any 
witneiTes, or any time or place when or where ei- 
ther of them were delivered. And concerning his 
condud:, they fay, " He hath led off" a party with 
him, to rife up againft and feparate from the eccle- 
liaftical conftitution of this colony, under which 
this church was peaceably eftablifhed ; reproach- 
fully infinuating in a church meeting, that under 
the Saybrook platform it is king alTociation in op- 
polition- to Jefus Chrift the only King of the 
church. In which articles, upon mature delibera- 
tion, we judge the faid Mr. Robbins is criminally 
guilty of the breach of the third, fifth and ninth 
commands, and of many gofpel rules, for which he 
ought to give Chriftian fatisfad:ion, by making a 
confeflion to the acceptance of this confociation."* 
This he was fo far from doing, that he publiihed a 
narrative of the whole affair at Boflon, in which 
the reader may find all the above particulars. 

The confociation waited a year, and then met 
on September 29, 1747, and after telling much of 
their lenity and his obflinacy, they fay, " This 
confociation do now upon the whole judge and de- 
termine the faid Mr. Robbins unworthy the minif- 
terial character and Chriftian communion ; and 
accordingly do, in the name of the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
according to the word of God, and the powers in- 
vefted in this confociation by the ecclefiaftical con- 
ftitution of this government, depofe the faid Mr. 
Philemon Robbins from his minifterial office, and 

* Robbins' Narrative, p. 28, 29. 

z 



1 86 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.X. 

miniflerial and paftoral relation to the firft church 
in faid Branford, and debar and fufpend him 
from communion in any of the churches of our 
Lord Jefus Chrift."* This is in an anfwer to Mr* 
Robbins, which they publifhed in 1748 5 in which 
they fay of his voting with his church to renounce 
the Saybrook platform, " There was no more va- 
lidity in fuch a vote, than there would have been 
in that, if the major part of the firft fociety in Bran- 
ford had voted to renounce the civil government 
of Conne6licut.t" And a petition was fent to their 
General Court, that they would turn Mr. Rob- 
bins out of his meeting-houfe, that a regular 
minifter might be fettled therein. - But fuch 
glaring condud: opened their eyes, and they or- 
dered a council to be called out of other coun- 
ties, who prevailed with New-Haven confocia- 
tion to reftore Mr. Robbins to a feat with them, 
which he held to his death in 178 1 ; but his church 
fent no meifenger with him. And 4:heir General 
Court revived their former a6ls> of toleration to 
diifenters, and ordered a new edition of their laws 
to be printed', which was done in 1750, out of 
w^hich their late perfecuting laws were left, with- 
out any exprefs repeal of them. Governor Wol- 
cot publifhed a pantphlet againft the Saybrook 
fcheme; and Governor Fitch endeavoured to explain 
away their power, which has lince much declined. 
An end was thus put to their imprifoning men 
for preaching ; but flill they were refolute for 
compelling all to fupport thofe pariih miniflers. Let 
it be obferved, that the fathers of Plymouth colo- 
ny held, that the minifters of Chrift are to be fup- 
ported only by his laws and influence, and not at 
all by the laws of men enforced by the fword of 
the magiftrate ; and many who now came out in a 
feparation from thefe churches, defcended from 

* Anfwer to Robbins, p. 117. f Page 85. 



' 1752.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 187 

thofe Plymouth fathers, and meant confcientloufly 
to follow their good principles, in which others 
joined them ; but for fo doing, they fufFered 
much, for feveral years, until their opprelTors 
found their own caufe was weakened thereby, and 
fo delifted. A fhort view of two places may give 
a general view of the whole. 

The minifter of the firft church in Norwich was 
fettled in 171 7, upon the old principles of New- 
England ; but in 1 744, he procured a vote of the 
major part of the church, to admit communicants 
into it without fo much as a written account of 
any inward change of heart at all. At the fame 
time he openly declared his attachment to the Say- 
brook platform, which the church renounced when 
they fettled him. Therefore a large number of 
the church drew off, and formed another church, 
and fettled another minifter ; yet they were ftill 
taxed to the old minifter, and many were imprif- 
oned therefoi*. Of this, and their temper under 
their fufferings, a private letter from a widow of 
fifty-four years old may give fome idea. 

Norwich, Nov. 4, 1752. 
*' Dear Son^ 

" I have heard fomething of the trials 
among you of late, and I was grieved till I had 
ftrength to give up the cafe to God, and leave my 
burthen there. And now I would tell you fome- 
thing of our trials. Your brother Samuel lay in 
prifon twenty days. O6lober 15, the colledor 
came to our houfe, and took me away to prifon a- 
bout nine o'clock, in a dark rainy night. Broth- 
,ers Hill and Sabin were brought there next night. 
We lay in prifon thirteen days, and then were fet at 
liberty, by what means I know not. Whilft I was 
there, a great many people came to fee me ; and 
fome faid one thing and fome another. O the in- 
pumerable fnares and temptations that befet me. 



i88 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. X. 

more than I ever thought of before ! But, O 
the condefcenfion of Heaven ! Though I was bound 
when I was call into this furnace, yet was I loofed, 
and found Jefus in the midft of the furnace with 
me. O5 then I could give up my name, eftate, 
family, life and breath, freely to God. Now the 
prifon looked like a palace to me. I could blefs 
pod for all the laughs and feoffs made at me. O 
the love that flowed out to all mankind ! Then I 
could forgive, as I would defire to be forgiven, and 
love my neighbour as myfelf. Deacon Grifwold 
was put in prifon the 8th of October, and yefler- 
day old brother Grover, and are in purfuit of oth- 
ers ; all which calls for humiliation. This church 
hath appointed the 13th of November to be fpent 
in prayer and falling on that account. I do re- 
member my love to you and your wife, and the 
dear children of God with you, begging your pray- 
ers for us in fuch a day of trial. We are all in tol- 
erable health, expecling to fee you. Thefe from 
your loving mother, Elizabeth Backus.'* 

They afterwards imprifoned her brother for fuch 
taxes, while he was a member of their Legiflature ; 
and they went on in fuch ways for about eight 
years, until the fpiritual weapons of truth and love, 
vanquifhed thofe carnal weapons, which have not 
been fo ufed in Norwich fince. And the fame may 
be obferved of Canterbury. Mr. Elifha Paine was 
ordained paflor of a church on Long Ifland in May, 
1752 ; but as he came over to Canterbury the fall 
after, he was feized and imprifoned at Windham, 
November 2 1, 1752, for a tax to the miniflerwhom 
the church rejedled. Upon which he faid, " I can- 
not but marvel to fee how foon the children will 
forget the fword that drove their fathers into this 
land, and take hold of it as a jewel, and kill their 
grandchildren therewith. O that men could fee 
how far this is from Chrifl's rule ! that all things. 



1752.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 189 

which we would have others do unto us, that we 
ihould do even fo unto them. I believe the fame 
people, who put this authority into the hands of 
Mr. Cogfwell, their minifter, to put me into prifon 
for not paying him for preaching, would think it 
very hard for the church I belong to, and am paf- 
tor of, if they fhould get the upper hand, and tax 
and imprifon him, for what he fhould be fo unjuft- 
ly taxed at ; and yet I can fee no other difference, 
only becaufe the power is in his hands ; for I fup- 
pofe he has heard me as often as I ever have him, 
and yet he hath taken from me by force two cows 
and one fleer, and now my body held in prifon, on- 
ly becaufe the power is in his hands.'* And on 
December 11, he wrote to the Affeffors of Canter- 
bury, and reminded them of the cruelty of the 
two beafls at Rome, and then faid, " What your 
prifoner requefls of you is, a clear diflindion be- 
tween the ecclefiaflical conflitution of Connecticut, 
by which I am now held in prifon, and thofe 
thrones or beafts, in the foundation, conflitution 
and fupport thereof. For if you can fhew, by 
Scripture and reafon, that they do not all ftand on 
the throne mentioned in Pfahn xciv. 20, but that 
the latter is founded on the rock Chrifl Jefus, I 
will confefs my fault, and foon clear myfelf of the 
prifon. But if this conflitution hath its rife from 
that throne, then come forth to the help of the 
Lord againfl the mighty ; for it is better to die for 
Chrifl, than to live againfl him. From an old 
friend to this civil conflitution, and long your 
prifoner. Elisha Paine."* 

Five days after he was releafed ; but the ex- 
tremity of a fevere winter kept him long from 
his family, who fuffered much in an unfinifhed 
houfe for want of his help. Mr. Solomon Paine 

* Mr. Paine continued the paftor of his church on Long 
Ifland, till he died, in 1775, aged 84. 



jgo A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XI. 

publifhed a book this year, to fliew " the difference 
between the church of Chrift, and the churches 
eftablifhed by law in Conneclicut." And though 
they continued this opprefTion until 17715 yet their 
minifter was then difmiffed ; and many confeffed 
their faults in thofe oppreflions, and equal liberty 
has been enjoyed in Canterbury ever fince. 



■g"^ 



CHAP. XL 



The caufe why Baptiji churches increafed in feveral 
places^ though oppofed by many, — Two who were 
againjl them die, — The corruption of7nany expofed. — 
Epifcopalians try for power here, — The great Earth-' 
quake awakens many. — More Baptiji churches form- 
ed, — A new revival of religion among them and oth- 
ers, — Providence College conjiituted, — Light given 
about baptifm by Pcedobaptijis ; and by writings con" 
cerning religious ejiablifhments ,—'The evil of them 
opened, — Particularly at Bojion, — Univerfalifm ex^ 
pofed, — Nezv revivals, — Whitejield dies, — Certificate 
laws expofed,-^The war comes on,^'-^The Baptifts unite 
with their country in it* — The fakers did not* 

VV HEN religion was revived in 1741, there 
were but nine Baptift churches in all the MaiTachu- 
fetts government, and none in New-Hampfhire or 
Vermont. As Paedobaptift inftruments were chiefly 
ufed in that work, and the moft of the old Baptifts 
were not clear in the dodfrines of grace, they - 
were generally prejudiced againfl it. Yet the great 
change, that was then wrought in many minds, 
was the evident caufe of the fpread of the Baptift 
principles in our land, which have increafed ever 
fince. The fubjeds of that work of grace embra- 
ced two ideas which produced this effed. The 



1752.] OF NEV/-ENGLAND. 191 

firft is, that favlng faith is neceffary to give any 
foul a true right to communion in the church of 
Chrift. The fecond is, that there is no warrant 
for a half way covenant therein. And as infants 
are generally in the ftate of nature when they are 
faid to be brought into covenant, infant baptifm 
expires before thefe principles. Yet, natural affec- 
tion, education, honour, gain and felf-righteouf- 
nefs, all confpire together to prejudice people 
againft becoming Baptifts. It is not ilrange, there- 
fore, that but few became fuch for many years. 

The paftor of the Baptift church in Bofton was 
dark in dodlrine, and oppofed the revival of relig- 
ion that began there in 1 740 ; therefore a few of 
the church drew off, and formed another church 
in 1742, and ordained a paftor in 1743, who was 
a clear preacher of the gofpel, and many joined 
with them from adjacent towns. A fecond Baptift 
church was alfo formed and organized in Reho- 
both, in 1743. The like was done at Stonington 
in Connedlicut the fame year. And they increafed 
fo much in New-Jerfey, that Mr. Dickinfon, the 
firft Prefident of their college, wrote a pamphlet 
againft them, which was printed both in New- 
York and Bofton, in 1746. But it was fent over 
to London, and Dr. Gill publifhed an anfwer to it 
in 1 749 ; to which Mr. Peter Clark replied in 1752; 
and this examination of the fubjed caufed light to 
be fpread in our land. 

More than threefcore members of the feparate 
church in Sturbridge, including all their officers, 
were baptized in 1749. Elder Ebenezer Moulton, 
of Brimfield, baptized the firft part of them, and 
many others about the fame time. In September 
that year, he baptized ten perfons in Bridgwater, 
and three in Raynham. The month before, a con- 
troverfy was brought into the feparate church in 
the joining borders of Bridgwater and Middlcbo- 
rough, which was managed in an unhappy manner. 



192 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

and ferved to prejudice many againft the Baptift 
principles ; yet they gradually prevailed, until their 
paftor and others were baptized in 1751, and others 
afterwards, who yet held communion with their 
old brethren for a number of years. Several lively 
preachers w^ere received among the old Baptifts in 
Narraganfet, who had much fuccefs there ; and 
Baptill elders went from thence, and baptized 
many in the feparate churches in Connecticut, and 
it feemed as though all thofe churches would be- 
come Baptifts ; but for fear of it, fierce oppofition 
was raifed againft what was called rebaptizing, 
which was declared to be a very wicked action, 
and fome retracted it. This caufed much unhappi- 
nefs, and councils were called upon it, and a gen- 
eral meeting of churches at Exeter in May, 1753, 
and a larger one at Stonington in May, 1754 ; but 
they could not fettle the controverly. Though 
the communing of all real faints together, appear- 
ed to be of great importance, yet many found by 
degrees that it could not be done in that way ; for 
they faw that if they came to the Lord's Supper 
with any who were only fprinkled in their infancy, 
it practically faid they were baptized, when they 
believed in their confciences that thev were not. 
And practical lying is a great lin. We ought to 
ufe all the freedom towards all men, and towards 
Chriftians efpecially, that we can with a good con- 
fcience ; but neither Scripture nor reafon can re- 
quire us to violate our own confciences for any 
caufe whatever. And upon thefe principles the 
firft Baptift church in Middleborough was confti- 
tuted, January 16, 1756, and their former paftor 
w^as inftalled in his office, June 23 following. This 
was the firft Baptift church which was formed in 
an extent of country of more than an hundred 
miles long, from Bellingham to the end of Cape 
Cod, and near fifty miles wide, between Bofton 



1758.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 193 

and Rehoboth, in which are now above twenty 
churches. 

In two years before, gofpel preachers from New- 
York and New-Jerfey, had travelled feveral times 
to Newport and Swanfea, and laboured among our 
old Baptift churches with fuccefs ; and a reforma- 
tion in dodrine and condud followed, and alfo a 
friendly intercourfe with our new churches. Mr. 
Solomon Paine, who had oppofed the Baptifts 
much, died Odober 25, 1754, and Mr. Thomas 
Stevenfon, November 13, 1755, after which that 
oppofition abated. But a cruel war now came on, 
which turned the minds of people off from the great 
concerns of the foul and eternity, to the confuiions 
of this world. The miniilers who had been againft 
the late glorious work, were now uiing all their art 
to render the dodrines of fovereign grace odious ; 
and the dodrine of Jefus Chrift being truly the 
Son of God, and juftification by faith in his right- 
eoufnefs, was treated with fcorn and contempt, in 
a publication at Bofton in 1755. And the fame 
fpirit appeared in Connedicut. The Baptift minif- 
ter and church of Wallingford removed from 
thence in 1750 ; but when the Congregational 
minifter, who had perfecuted Mr. Robbins, died 
there in 1756, his people had great difficulties about 
fettling another. Among twenty candidates, they 
could not agree about any one of them. There- 
fore in the fpring of 1758, they were advifed to 
fend to Cambridge, and they did fo, and a man 
came highly recommended from thence, and the 
majority eleded him for their paftor ; and appoint- 
ed his ordination to be on Odober 1 1. But inftead 
of ading by Saybrook platform, they fent for fuch 
minifters as fuited them, in their own county, and 
in other places, who were of their party. God 
fays, " Mark them which caufe diviiions and offen- 
ces, contrary to the dodrine which ye have learn- 
A A 



J94 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

ed, and avoid them ; for they that are fuch, fervc 
not our Lord Jefus Chrift, but their own belly ; 
and by good words and fair fpeeches deceive the 
hearts of the fimple." Rom. xvi. 17, 18. This 
word has been abundantly call upon all men who 
have feparated from miniflers who were fupported 
by force ; though they have paid no regard to two 
characters, defcribed in the text. The firft is, them 
who caufe divifions ; the fecond is, their a<fling 
contrary to the doBrine which the Chriflian church 
have learned ; for Chrift himfelf caufed divifions 
between his church and the world. And becaufe 
the minifters of Windham county ordained a can- 
didate in Canterbury, in 1744, contrary to the 
minds of the majority of the church, divifions and 
offences were caufed thereby through the land. 
Another divifion was now coming on about doc- 
trines ; for fome members of the church in Wal- 
lingford, had vifited their candidate, and delired 
to know his thoughts, " about original fin, and the 
faints* perfeverance, the power of free-will, and fal- 
ling: from 2:race,'' but he refufed to tell them. As 
they were not willing to fit under fuch a teacher 
of fouls, their confociation was convened at Wal- 
lingford the day before the ordination was to be, 
to hear and adl upon a complaint exhibited againft 
their candidate ; but he and his party protefled 
againfl their meeting at that time, and refufed to 
be tried by them. The miniflers whom they had 
called, formed themfelves into a council, and went 
into the meeting-houfe, and heard the candidate 
vindicate himfelf, before judges that his accufers 
refufed to be tried by. Though while they were 
there, they received a paper, figned by ninety-five 
inhabitants of that parifh, who poffefTed about half 
the freehold eftate therein, defiring them not to 
proceed in the ordination ; and alfo a meffage from 
their confociation, warning and befeeching them 
not then to proceed j yet in the face of all this. 



1 759-] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 195 

they went on and ordained him as the pallor of 
that parifh. 

Such an inftance was never before known In 
our land ; therefore the confociation adjourned, 
and called the fouthern confociation of Hartford 
county to meet with them ; but they could not 
bring faid party to be tried by them ; therefore at 
their meeting of April 3, 1759, they gave the 
fentence of noncommunion againft the minifter fo 
ordained in Wallingford, and againft the members 
of the church who fhould continue with him. 
They declared the minifters of their county who 
afted in that ordination to be dlforderly perfons^ un- 
til they gave fatisfaclion for that offence ; and they 
were Jofeph Noyes, Ifaac Stiles, and Chauncy 
Whittlefey of New-Haven, Samuel Whittlefey of 
Milford, Theophilus ?Iall of Meriden, and Jona- 
than Todd of Eaft-Guildford. Two of thefe were 
fons of the old minifter of Wallingford, and one 
of them was the tutor for whom David Brainard 
was expelled from college^ 

Mr. Todd and William Hart wrote in favour of 
thefe men, and Mr. Edward Eelles and Noah Ho- 
bart wrote againft them ; and all the above things 
appear in their publications. Mr. Robbins was 
one of their judges, in an affair which affords ufe- 
ful leffons. Here we may fee how self can blind 
the children of men. The fcene of thefe anions 
was in the fame town from vt^hence all their abl- 
ings againft him originated. He only preach- 
ed there occafionally ; they fettled a minifter in the 
parifti. He acled againft the deiire of two minif- 
ters and forty two inhabitants ; they againft their 
confociation, and ninety-five inhabitants. In the 
firft cafe the Saybrook fcheme was fairly renounced, 
and the word of God taken in its room ; in the 
other they only protefted againft the meeting of 
the confociation at that time, but intended to be 



i$6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

of it afterwards. Thefe things caufed a divi- 
fion in the town, and another church and minifter 
were fettled there ; two Baptift churches alfo are 
lince formed in Wallingford. And their condud 
produced like effects in other places. 

The preaching of Mr. Ebenezer White of Dan- 
bury, was not liked by a minor part of his hearers, 
and they went and complained of him to their af- 
fociation, and advifed to the calling of the confo- 
ciation of that diftrid to hear and ad upon it. But 
when Mr. White heard of it, he called his church 
together, June 28, 1763, and they renounced the 
Saybrook platform, which many of them never 
liked, though they did not renounce communion 
with the churches who were under it. When the 
confociation of theeaftern diftri<^ of Fairfield county 
met at Danbury in Auguft, Mr. White and his 
church informed them of what they had done, and 
refufed to be tried by them. Yet they would hear 
the cafe, and finding it to be very difEcult, they 
adjourned, and called in the confociation of the 
weftern diftrid of that county to aft with them. 
After other adjournments, and much labour, 
they at their meeting of March 27, 1764, rejefted 
Mr. White and a large majority of his church, and 
held the minority as the church and fociety in 
Danbury, and refufed to recommend Mr. White as 
a preacher to any people, until he gave them fatif- 
fadion. But five minifters entered their proteft 
againft this laft article, the firft of whom was Mr. 
David Judfon of Newtown, who, with his church, 
afterwards renounced the Saybrook platform. 
Thus thofe minifters caufed divifions and offences, 
from place to place, by acting upon that arbitrary 
fcheme. And there are now two Baptift churches 
in Danbury, and one in Newtown, with 125 mem- 
bers in the three churches, and 104 in the two in 
Wallingford. Thefe were their numbers in 
1802. 



1762.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 197 

What Dr. Chauncy and others had publlfh- 
ed about Bifhops in each parifh, encouraged the 
miniflers who were ordained by Biihops in Eng- 
land, to deny that any who were not fo or- 
dained could have any juft right to adminiiler gof- 
pel ordinances. And they erected an epifcopal 
church in Cambridge, near the college ; at the 
opening of which a difcourfe was delivered, which 
contained bitter reflections upon the Fathers of 
this country, for their feparation from the church 
of England. To this Dr. Jonathan Mayhew of 
Bofton, publifhed a fmart anfwer, but a reply was 
returned, faid to be written by the Archbiihop of 
Canterbury. This controverfy was warmly carried 
on, until the American war came on, which ilTued 
in our independence of Britain. 

The great earthquake, on the morning of No- 
vember 18, 1755, ferved to awaken a number of 
people, and that and other means were bleffed for 
the converiion of feveral in the time of the war 
that then came on. The fecond Baptift church in 
Middleborough was formed Nov. 16, 1757, and the 
third on Aug. 4, 1 761, and paflors were ordained in 
each of them. Baptift churches were likewife formed 
and organized in 1761, in Norton and in Afhfield. 

A revival of religion came on in the third 
Baptift church in Middleborough in May, 1762, 
and prevailed fo through all the fummer, that peo- 
ple held frequent meetings on week days as well as 
the Sabbaths, and great numbers were hopefully 
converted and added to the church ; and it fpread 
among other denominations. Although many 
faid they would all come to want, becaufe they 
neglected their worldly bufinefs fo much, yet a few 
feafonable ftiowers, in a great drought, caufed a 
double crop of corn, fo that they had enough for 
themfelves, and much to fpare for others at a 
diftance, where their crops were much cut ftiort, 
which was very convincing to many. This 



198 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

work was much more pure, and people a6led more 
underftandingly, than in our former revivals ; and 
if all would learn to feek firft the kingdom of God, 
and his righteoufnefs, they would find an addition 
of all needful good unto them. 

This work was very extenfive afterwards in ma- 
ny parts of this land. It came on in Jpfwich, un- 
der the miniftry of Mr. John Cleaveland, near the 
clofe of 1763, and caufed the addition of ninety 
communicants to his church in lefs than a year. 
And the work was great at Providence, Norwich, 
and many other places in 1764; and in March 
that year it was greater at Eafthampton on Long- 
Ifland, where one Jew was converted. And as a 
Baptift minifter went through Woodftock in Con- 
necticut, in December 1763, he preached a fermon 
to a few people, one of whom was a young man, 
who had been a leader in vanity ; but he was then 
feized with conviction, and was converted in 
March after, upon which four of his old compan- 
ions came to try if they could not draw him back 
to his old ways ; which they were fo far from doing, 
that his labours with them produced a change in 
their minds ; a great work was wrought in the 
town, a Baptift church was formed there, and 
he was ordained their paftor in 1768. And other 
things concurred to open a wide door for the 
fpread of Baptift principles in our land. 

Until now they had never had the government 
of any college, for the education of youth in hu- 
man learning. Their churches in Pennfylvania and 
New-Jcrfey, had held an annual meeting to pro- 
mote their welfare, ever fince 1707 ; and it now 
appeared expedient to them, to endeavour to erect 
a college in Rhode Ifland government, for the 
above purpofe. Mr. James Manning, who was 
born in Elizabethtown, Odober 22, 1738, gradu- 
ated at Princeton college in 1762, and ordained a 
minifter of the gofpel, appeared to them a fuitable 



1769.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 199 

man to lead in this work. Therefore, on a voyage 
to Halifax, he called at Newport, and propofed 
the affair to a number of Baptift gentlemen, and 
they liked it well ; and though they met with 
fome oppoiition, yet they obtained a charter for a 
college, in February, 1764, from their Legiflature, 
in which the Prefident was always to be a Baptift, 
and fo were the majority of the corporation, 
though fome of the Epifcopal, Quaker and Con- 
gregational denominations were to be of it. No 
religious teft was ever to be impofed upon the 
fcholars, though great care was to be taken about 
their morals. 

Mr. Manning removed his family to Warren in 
July, where a Baptift church was then formed, 
and he miniftered to them. In September, 1765, 
he was chofen Prefident of the college, and dili- 
gently attended to the duties of it, until feven 
young gentlemen took their firft degrees there, 
September 7, 1769. In the fpring after the col- 
lege was removed to Providence, where a large 
brick edifice was ereded for it, and a houfe for the 
Prefident, all by perfonal generofity ; and no gov- 
ernment upon earth ever gave any thing towards 
faid buildings, or for the college funds ; though 
vaft fums had been given by the governments 
of the MafTachufetts and Connedicut to their col- 
leges. But the buildings, library, and funds of this 
college, were all produced voluntarily, and chiefly 
from the inhabitants of Providence, many of 
whom fprung from the planters of the firft Baptift 
church in America. O how far was this from the 
thoughts of the MafTachufetts, when they banifhed 
Roger Williams for oppofing the ufe of force in re- 
ligious affairs ! 

Mr. Hezekiah Smith was a clafTmate with Man- 
ning, and was ordained a minifter of the gofpeL 
Having travelled and preached it to the fouth- 
ward as far as Georgia, he came into New-England 



200 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

in the fpririg of 1764, and preached much, among 
various denominations, with an expe6lation of go- 
ing back in the fall ; but a deftitute parifh in Ha- 
verhill prevailed with him to ftay and preach to 
them, which he did with fuccefs ; and a Baptift 
church was formed in the heart of the town. May 
9, 1765. Upon which many raifed oppofition 
againft him, and things were publifhed againft 
the Baptifts in general ; to which anfwers were re- 
turned ; and the more their principles were exam- 
ined, the more they were embraced. Controver- 
lies among their opponents had a like effecl ; for 
in 1768, Dr. Jofeph Bellamy began a difpute againft 
the halfway covenant, which was purfued for fev- 
eral years. Dr. Mofes Mather was one who wrote 
againft him, and he held up the covenant with 
Abraham, as a covenant that all ought to be in, in 
order to ufe the means of grace for their converiion. 
But Dr. Bellamy replied, and faid, " the unbaptiz- 
ed have as good a right to read and hear the word 
of God, as the baptized have ; and as good a right 
to believe and embrace the gofpel. For by Chrift's 
laft commiilion, the gofpel is to be preached to all 
nations ; yea, to every creature ; and that previous 
to, and in order to prepare men for baptifm. 
Mark xvi. 15, 16. So that there is not the leaft 
need of being in his external covenant, in order to 
have as good a right to hear and believe, and to be 
juftified by the gofpel, as any men on earth have ; 
for there is no difference. Rom. iii. 22.^'* And how 
ftrong is this reafoning for the baptifm of believers 
only ! But greater things were then before them. 

When the Britiih court had determined to tax 
America, their bifhopshad great hopes of eftablifhing 
their worfhip upon it ; and one of them then laid, 
*' We may affure ourfelves that this benefit will 
flow to the church from our prefent moft gracious 

* Reply to Mather, p. 75. 



1769.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 201 

fovereign, whenever public wifdom, public care, 
public juftice and piety fhall advife the meafure. 
This point obtained, the American church will foon 
go out of its infant ftate, be able to ftand upon its 
own legs ; and without foreign help fupport and 
fpread itfelf. Then the bufinefs of this fociety will 
have been brought to the happy iffue intended."* 

The fociety, to whom this was preached, had ex- 
pcnded vaft fums, for fixty-fix years, to propagate 
what they called the gofpel in America ; and they 
now difcovered what they were after ; which was 
to have Epifcopacy fupported by force in our coun- 
try. By the abftradl at the end of this fermon, it 
appears that their fociety had then only feven min- 
ifters in the whole of North Carolina, when they 
had twenty- three in the Maflachufetts and Con- 
nedlicut. Yet their profeffioil was, to fend minif- 
ters to gofpelize the heathen, or to teach others 
who had not a fufEcient fupport for minifters 
among them. And Dr. Chandler, of New- Jerfey, 
now wrote upon the fame argument, which I be- 
fore referred to ; and the danger of their fucceed- 
ing appeared to be fo great, that Dr. Chauncy 
wrote a large anfwer to him, wherein he faid, 

" We are in principle againft all civil eftablifii- 
ments in religion ; and as we do not defire any 
eftablifhment in fupport of our own religious fenti- 
ments or pradice, we cannot reafonably be blamed, 
if we are not difpofed to encourage one in favour 
of the Epifcopal colonifts. — It does not appear to 
us, that God has entrufted the ftate with a: right 
to make religious eftabli£hments. If the ftate in 
England has this delegated authority, muft it not 
be owned, that the ftate in China, in Turkey, 
in Spain, has this authority alfo ? What fliould 
make the difference in the eye of true reafon ? 

* Sermon in London, February 20, 1767, by the Biiliop of 
LandaiF, p. 24, 25. 
Bb 



202 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

Hath the ftate in England been dlftlnguifhed by 
Heaven by any particular grant beyond the ftate in 
other countries ? If it has, let the grant be produc- 
ed. If it has not, all ftates have in common the 
fame authority. And as they muft feverally be 
fuppofed to exert their authority in eftabliftiments 
conformable to their own fentiments in religion ; 
what can the confequence be, but infinite damage 
to the caufe of God and true religion ? And fuch 
in fact has been the confequence of thefe eftablifh- 
ments in all ages, and in all places.'** 

The general aifociation of miniilers in Con- 
necticut publifhed a letter of thanks to Dr. Chaun- 
cy, for writing this book, in a Bofton paper, in 1768. 
But Chandler wrote again, and Chauncy replied, 
and faid, " The religion of Jefus has fufFered more 
from the exercife of this pretended right, than from 
all other caufcs put together ; and it is, with me, 
paft all doubt, that it will never be reftored to its 
primitive purity, iimplicity and glory, until relig- 
ious eftablifhments are fo brought down as to be no 
more.''t And yet he had publifhed more, for 
thirty years, to uphold the Congregational eftab- 
liihments in New-England, than any other man. 
And if any ftiould plead that he held" thefe not 
to be real eftablifliments, that plea cannot be 
truth, becaufe they hold faft three principles 
here, that are the foundation of all worldly eftab- 
lifhments that ever were made under the name of 
Chriftianity. The firft is, infant baptifm, which 
lays bands upon children before they can choofe for 
themfelves ; and education, honour, gain and felf- 
righteoufnefs, hold them in that way all their days, 
in the general cuftom of the world. The fecond 
is, the fupporting of religious teachers by force, by 
the power of the magiftrate. The third is, the al- 

* Anfwer to Chandler, p. 152, ic(^. 
t Reply, 1770, p. 144, 145. 



r77^*l O'P NEW-ENGLAND. 203 

.lowing religious niiniilers a power of office which 
the people cannot give nor take away. The 
church of Rome, and the church of England, were 
built and are now upheld entirely by thefe three 
principles : and the Congregational churches that 
are eftabliihed by law in the Mallachufetts and Con- 
necticut, hold each of them faft. As long as 
rulers force the people to fupport religious teach- 
ers, it bribes them to ufe all their influence in fa- 
vour of fuch rulers, and this bribes rulers to con- 
tinue in that way. And God fays, " A gift doth 
blind the eyes of the wife, and pervert the words of 
the righteous." Deut. xvi. 19. And fo many wife 
and righteous men have gone in that way, that it 
is very difficult for their children to get out of it. 
But the word of God points out a clear light, which 
is to diredl our feet in the way of peace. And he 
gives a moft folemn warning to all, againft adding 
to, or taking from his words. Rev. xxii. 18, 19. 
And no men can force others to fupport any relig- 
ious teachers, without adding to the holy Scrip- 
tures, our only fafe rule of conduct. What 
vaft expenfes would be faved to worldly govern- 
ments, if that evil was entirely renounced ! For the 
cofts of Legiilatures to make laws about worfliip, 
parifhes and minifters, is a main part of the ex- 
penfes of all governments who go i«i that way. 
Religious pretences have caufed the moft of the 
wars that have been in the world, under the name 
of Chriftianity j and the expenfes which are occa- 
lioned by wars, are as much as half of the fupport 
of government in Europe and America. 

Yet the holding of minifters above the churches 
is ftill a darling point in our country, againft all the 
light which God has given us. For the minifter 
of Bolton, in Worcefter county, drank to excefs on 
^ facrament day, fo as to Ihock his whole congrega- 
tion. His church called him to account for it, but 
lie did not give them fatisfaction. Three councils^ 



204 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XL 

one after another, were called about it, but they 
were all for continuing him in office there ; but as 
he had affumed the power to negative the ads of 
the church, and to diffolve their meeting, they cal- 
led another, and chofe a moderator and clerk, and 
made fome propofals to their minifter, and adjourn- 
ed. But as he gave them no fatisfadion, they met 
on Auguft 8, 1 77 1, and difmiffed him from them, 
and the town concurred in it. 

Upon this, miniflers were much alarmed, and 
things were publiihed againft the church, as daring 
ufurpers of an unwarrantable power ; upon which 
two editions of Mr. Wife's works were printed at 
Bofton, to fhew what power the church once had. 
But the general convention of minifters at Bofton, 
in May, 1773, publifhed a pamphlet, to try to prove 
that no church had a right to difmifs their minif- 
ter, without the direction of a council therein. 
And in Auguft following, a council of feven 
churches met at Bolton, and tried hard to have 
that minifter reftored again to his office there ; and 
becaufe they could not obtain it, they printed their 
refult at Bofton, as their teftimony againft any fuch 
power in their churches. Dr. Chauncy was mod- 
erator of that council. 

In 1772, a man from England, by the way 
of New- York, came to Bofton, and artfully held 
up that Chrift had paid the debt to juftice for all 
mankind, fo that none of them would fuffer in hell 
after the day of judgment. This gave fo great a 
fliock to the minifters who held to general redemp- 
tion, that they publifhed nothing againft him in ten 
years ; but in 1782, an anonymous pamphlet came 
out in Bofton againft him. AndDr. Chauncy publifh" 
ed a book in 1784, wherein he held forth, that the 
Jire of hell would purge away the fins of all the race 
of Adam, fo that they would be all faved, after ages 



1 773-] C)F NE W.ENGLAND. 205 

of ages.* This the pamphkt, in 1782, had called 

PURGATORY.t 

Now an infpired apoftle fays, " If the blood of 
bulls, and of goats, and the aihes of an heifer fprink- 
ling the unclean, fandifieth to the purifying of the 
flefti ; how much more fliall the blood of Chrift, 
who through the eternal Spirit offered himfelf 
without fpot to God, purge your confcience from dead 
works to ferve the living God !'* Heb. ix. 13, 14. 
This muft be done in the prefent life, or elfe they 
who die in their lins will lift up their eyes in tor- 
ment^ and find a great gulf fixed between them and 
the righteous, which none can pafs over. Luke xvi. 
22 — 26. And what madnefs is it to hold that the 
fire of hell can purge away any fins, infi:ead of the 
blood of Chrifi: ! Dr. Jonathan Edwards publiflied 
a full anfwer to Chauncy, in 1 790. 

But let us return to more agreeable things. A 
Baptifl: church was formed at Newton in New- 
Hampfhire, in 1755, and one at Haverhill, in 1765, 
which were the firil that were formed any where 
northward of Boflion. A great revival of religion 
then prevailed in New-Hampfliire, and the Baptift 
principle fpread therein, until a Baptifi: church was 
confi:ituted in Stratham, and a miniflier was ordain- 
ed there in 177 1, and their increafe has been great 
that way ever fince. And a powerful work came 
on in Swanfea and Rehoboth, w^hich increafed the 
Baptifl. churches there, and raifed a new One in 
Dighton, which is fince very large. Old churches 
gained great light now, about dodrines and gofpel 
order, and more than twenty new churches were 
formed in New-England, in three years. And in 
the clofe of 1774, fuch a work came on in Provi- 
dence, that Dr. Manning baptized an hundred and 
ten perfons in nine months ; and many joined to 

* Salvation for all men, p. 324. 
\ Said pamphlet, p. 21. 



3o6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

other churches in that town, and the work was ex- 
tenfive in other places. 

Mr. Whitefield was taken to his rell before this, 
after his extraordinary labours, for thirty-four 
years, in England, Scotland, Ireland and America. 
He came over feven voyages to our country, in the 
laft of which he landed in South-Carolina, in No- 
vember, 1769, and went to Georgia. Rom 
thence he travelled through all the country, as far 
as the diftrid of Maine ; and in fifty eight days he 
preached fifty-one fermons, before he died at New- 
buryport, September 30, 1770; as appears in fu- 
neral fermons for him, and in his life publiihed 
fince. And how wonderful were thefe things ! 

The firfl: Baptifl: church in Vermont was formed 
in Shaftfbury in 1768, and the fecond was in Pow- 
nal in 1773. In the three following years, 
Baptift churches were cotiftituted at Suffield, Afh- 
ford, Hampton and Killingly in Conne^licut, and 
Medfield, Harvard and Chelmsford, in the MalTa- 
chufetts ; when the terrible calamities of the war 
could not flop this work. Neither could the ill- 
treatment which the Baptifts had met with, turn 
them againft their country, who had oppreffed them ; 
for though they had received relief from the Brit- 
ifli court, feveral times, yet they faw that this was 
done for political ends, by men who now aimed to 
bring all America into bondage. And we Ihall 
here take a concife view of the partiality that was 
often difcovered, even when our rulers pretended 
to relieve us. 

The certificate ads which were made from time 
to time, to exempt us from minifterial taxes, were 
often violated by our oppreffors, efpecially where 
new churches were formed. The Baptift church 
that was formed at Sturbridge in 1749, gave in 
certificates according to law, and yet they were all 
taxed to the pariih minifter ; and in two years five 
men were imprifoned for it at Worcefter, and 



1773-] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 207 

three oxen and eight cows were taken away, befide 
a great deal of other property. Several men fued 
for recompence, and at length judgment was given 
for them in one cafe ; but then other cafes were 
non-fuited, under the pretence that the aclions 
were not commenced againft the right perfons. 
The Baptifts judged that their damages in thefe 
cafes were not lefs than four hundred dollars. And 
a reprefentative from Sturbridge prevailed with 
our Legiflature to make a new law, in 1752, to ex- 
clude all Baptift churches from power to give le- 
gal certificates, until they had obtained certificates 
from three other Baptift churches, that they efteem- 
ed faid church to be confcientioufly Anabaptifts j that 
is, rebaptizers^ which they never did believe. Yet, 
rather than to fuffer continually, moft of the Bap- 
tifts conformed in fome meafure to their laws, until 
they were convinced that true help could not be 
had in that way, and therefore they concluded in 
1773 to give no more certificates, and publifhed 
their reafons for fo doing. 

The town of Alhfield was planted in 17515 and 
a Baptift church was conftituted and organized 
there in 1761, with a large majority of the inhab- 
itants in their favour. They had upheld worftiip 
there through all the perils of a long war ; yet af- 
ter it was over, others came in, and ordained a 
Congregational minifter, and- taxed the Baptift 
minifter and his people for his fupport. One con- 
dition in the grant of the town was, that they 
fliould fettle an orthodox minifter, and build a 
meeting-houfe ; and as the Baptifts were taxed for 
doing that for a Congregational minifter, they 
paid it. But after they had done it, a law was 
made in 1768, which took the power out of the 
hands of the inhabitants, and put it into the hands 
of the proprietors, many of whom did not live in 
the town, to tax all the inhabitants of the town for 
the fupport of faid minifter, and to lay the tax 



2o8 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

wholly upon the lands, be they in whofe hands 
they might, and to fell the lands if the owners re- 
fufed to pay it. The "wovdifupport was not in the 
original grant of the town from the government. 
Yet in 1770, three hundred and ninety eight acres 
of land, owned by the Baptifts, was fold, becaufe 
they refufed to pay a tax laid contrary to the orig- 
inal grant of fa id lands. They fought to the Legif- 
lature for relief, without any fuccefs, for near three 
years, and then fent to the King in council, and 
got that law difannulled. But no fooner was the 
news of it publifhed here, than a malicious profe- 
cution was commenced againft the charader of a 
chief father of that Baptift church ; and though 
he was fully acquitted upon trial, yet he got no re- 
compence for his cofts and trouble. This plainly 
difcovers what wickednefs is the confequence of 
fupporting religious minifters by force. 

More of this appeared in other places. After 
the Baptift church was formed in Haverhill, in 
1765, they gave in certificates to the other denom- 
ination according to law, and yet they were all 
taxed to them ; and in 1766, a large quantity of 
goods were taken from one of their fociety, and 
they fued for recompence in feveral courts, until 
judgment was given in their favour in ijGj^ by 
our fuperior court. Their opponents had promis- 
ed that this ftiould be a final trial, yet they violated 
that promife, and procured another trial in June, 
1769, when the cafe was turned againft the Bap- 
tifts, which coft them two hundred and fifty dol- 
lars. And they fufFered much other ways for 
feveral years, but they have been well treated 
fince. At Montague they made diftrefs upon the 
Baptift committee, who figned their certificates, 
and not upon others ; and when they fued for 
recompence, the cafe was turned againft them, 
both in their inferior and fuperior courts, upon a 
pretence that they could not witnefs for themfelves. 



1774.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 209 

though there were three of them, and if their 
names had not been in the lifts, they could not 
have been exempted. And both there and in Ha- 
verhill cafe, Baptifts were not admitted as witnelT- 
es of plain facts, becaufe they were parties concern- 
ed ; though judges and jurors were as much fo as 
they. The Baptifts in Berwick and Goreham fuf- 
fered much in thefe ways, as many others alfo did. 
And as their exempting law expired in 1774, 
another was made, which required that their certi- 
ficates ihould be recorded in each parifh where the 
Baptifts lived, who muft give four-pence for a copy 
of it, in order to clear themfelves, which is three- 
pence fterling, the fame as was laid on a pound of 
tea, which brought on the war in America. 

The Baptift churches began an annual alTociation 
at Warren, September 8, 1767, who have done 
much to defend their privileges, as well as to unite 
and quicken each other in religion. And when 
they met at Medfield, September 13, 1774, they 
chofe an agent to go to Philadelphia, when the firft 
Congrefs was fitting there, to join with the Phila- 
delphia affociation, to endeavour to fecure our re- 
ligious rights, while we united with our country in 
the defence of all our privileges. And when he 
came there, faid affociation elected a large commit- 
tee to help in the affair ; and they obtained a meet- 
ing of the four delegates from the Maffachufetts, 
before other members of Congrefs, in the evening 
of October 14 ; to whom a memorial of our griev- 
ances about religious matters was read. This, two 
of thofe delegates endeavoured to anfwer, and de- 
nied that we had any reafon to complain on thofe 
accounts. But when leave was given for a reply, 
plain facts filenced that plea. They then ihifted 
their plea, and would have all the blame of our 
fufferings laid upon executive officers, and they af- 
ferted that our Legiilature was entirely free from 
Cc 



2IO A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XL 

blame. Three of them joined in this plea, and one 
of them denied that it could be a cafe of confcience 
to refufe to give them certificates, and faid it was a 
matter of confcience with them to fupport minif- 
ters by law, and that we denied them liberty of 
confcience, in denying their right to do it. But 
when our agent was allowed to fpeak, he brought 
up the cafe of Afbfield, where near four hundred 
acres of land were fold for a condition that was not 
in the original grant of the town, for which the 
blame lay diredly on the Legiflature ; and if the 
King in council had not difannulled that law, the 
Baptiils might have been robbed of all their lands, 
as far as any thing has lince appeared. He alfo 
told them that he could not in confcience give the 
certificates which they required, which would im- 
plicitly allow a power to man, which in his view 
belongs only to God. And faid he, " Only allow us 
the liberty in the country, that they have long en- 
joyed in Bofton, and we afk no more.'* This was 
fo plain, that faid delegates promifed to ufe their 
influence towards having that liberty granted to all 
our government. 

But as one of them returned before faid agent 
got home, a report was fpread in the country, that 
he had been to Philadelphia to try to break the 
union of thefe colonies in the defence of all their 
privileges. He therefore foon met our Baptift 
committee at Bofi;on, who fent in a remonftrance 
upon this fubject to our provincial Congrefs at 
Cambridge, and they pafTed a refolve, which ac- 
quitted us of all blame in that affair ; and we are 
now to look into their following proceedings. 

A Congrefs, elected by the people in twelve col- 
onies, met at Philadelphia, September 5, 1774, and 
fent a petition to the king for the reftoration and 
continuance of our former privileges, and alfo made 
the beft preparations that they could to defend 
them ; but their petition was treated with con- 



J77<^-] 0¥ NEW-ENGLAND. tix 

tempt, and an army was fent to compel us to yield 
to be taxed where we were not reprcfented. A 
part of the army was fent from Bofton in the night, 
and on the morning of April 19, 1775, they killed 
eight men at Lexington, and fome more at Con- 
cord. But the people arofe againfl them, and they 
fled back the fame night, and were confined in 
Bofton eleven months, and then their army fled 
from thence by fea. And fuch things then took 
place in America, as never were feen upon earth 
before. A minifter who came from England, and 
then lived at Roxbury, faid upon a view of our 
country at that time, 

" Now fome hundred thoufand people are in a 
ftate of nature, and yet as ftill and peaceable, at 
prefent, as ever they were^when government was 
in full vigour. We have neither legiflators, nor 
magiftrates, nor executive officers. We have no 
officers, but military ones ; of thefe we have a mul- 
titude, chofen by the people, and exerciiing them 
with more authority and fpirit, than ever any did 
who had commiffions from a Governor. The in- 
habitants are determined never to fubmit to the 
ad: deftroying their charter, and are every where 
devoting themfelves to arms."* And a man who 
was born in this country, and carefully obferved 
the events in it, inferted a note in his private diary, 
in January, 1776, which faid, " Great and marvel- 
lous have been our dangers and our efcapes. In 
the midft of the worft kind of wars, we have both 
peace and plenty. I fcarce ever knew the country 
to be better off for provifion. This is a ftate of 
trial, and the great changes which are paffing over 
us, ferve greatly to fhew what is in man. As eve- 
ry one faw himfelf to be interefted in the war, men 
were forward enough to enlift into the army, and 
others to fupply them j fo that perhaps no army 

* Gordon^s Hiftorj, vol. i. p. 4.27, 428. 



212 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XI. 

was ever fupplied more plentifully with provilion 
than ours has been." 

Yet a party fpirit about religion Hill remained, 
and it was remarkably difcovered in one place. A 
young Baptift minifter was invited to preach in 
Pepperell, forty miles northwefterly from Bofton, 
and it had fo much effect, that a number of people 
met with a change ; another minifter was fent 
for, and lix perfons declared their experiences before 
them, who were judged to be fit fubjecls for 
baptifm. And on June 26, 1776, they met in a 
field, by the fide of a river, for worfhip and the 
adminiftration of that ordinance. But in the midft 
of their worfhip, the chief men of the town came 
at the head of a mob and broke it up. The min* 
ifters tried to reafon with them about their con- 
duA, but in vain ; and a dog was carried into the 
river, and dipped, in contempt of their opinion. 
A gentleman of the town then invited the Baptifts 
to his houfe, near another river, and they held their 
worfhip there ; but the chief men of the town folr 
lowed them, and two dogs were plunged in that 
river ; and one young man dipped another there 
with fcorn and derifion of the Baptifts ; and an of-;, 
ficer of the town went into the houfe, and advifed 
thefe minifters to depart immediately out of town 
for their own fafety. They afked if their lives 
would be in danger if they did not go, but receiv- 
ed no anfwer. But they fecretly agreed with their 
friends to difperfe, and to meet at another place of 
water j and they did fo, and thofe dx perfons were 
baptized, after which the mob offered them fome 
further abufe. Thefe things were laid before the 
Warren AlTociation in September, by whofe direc- 
tion an account of them was publifhed in Bofton, 
which the town of Pepperell anfwered, and the 
Baptifts replied thereto, and made the town afhairi* 
ed of what they had done. 



1778.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 213 

At the fame time an event took place which 
weakened the fociety of Quakers, more than any- 
thing had done before, fince they firft came into 
exidence. With much art and labour, their church 
had become numerous, in England and America, 
which they held to be but one church, and that all 
their children were born in it, and they did not al- 
low them to hear any teachers but their own. 
And they had five houfes for public worfhip in the 
town of Dartmouth, which then included what is 
now three towns. But after our war began, one 
of their mod noted minifters publilhed a pamphlet, 
to perfuade them to pay what they were taxed for 
the war, to defend America againft Britain. Upon 
which they dealt with him as a tranfgreifor of the 
rules of their church, and they expelled him from 
it in 1778. But this caufed a divilion among 
them, and it reached to Philadelphia, and it opened 
a door for their children to go to hear other teach- 
ers ; and two Baptift churches have been formed 
fince, where there were none before. 

The Baptifts were fo generally united with 
their country in the defence of their privileges, 
that when the General Court at Bofton paffed an 
a61:, in October, 1778, to debar all men from return- 
ing into their government, whom they judged to 
be their enemies, and named three hundred and 
eleven men as fuch, there was not one Baptift 
among them. Yet there was fcarce a Baptift mem- 
ber in the Legiflature who palTed this acl. 

In the fame year a new plan of government was 
formed for the MafTachufetts, which took in their 
old taxing laws for minifters, who were exceeding 
earneft for its adoption ; but they then failed of 
their delign. But they, by deceitful arts, at length 
obtained what they v/ere after. And in the mean 
time, Dr. Chauncy publifhed a fermon in Septem- 
ber, 1778, wherein he held up to the world, that 
|:he negled of our Legiflature, to make an ad to 



214 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIL 

compel the people to make up to minifters what 
their falaries had lacked from the depreciation of 
our public currency, was an accurfed things which 
caufed the defeat of our army on Rhode liland. 



CHAP. XIL 



A new conjlitution formed, — -Unjuji accufations againji 
the Baptifts. — A plea of confcience againji them, — 
Minijiers dif cover their rniftakes. — -The kingdotn of 
Chrifl defcribed, — -Connedicut fchemes againji it, — 
Tet God now revived his work greatly, — Methodifni 
defcribed, — -Bijhops come over from England,-— -Epif 
copacy abolifhed in Virginia,- — A new conjiitution of 
government ejiablijhed in America, — Prejident Wa/h- 
ingt on favours the Baptifts, — A great revival on our 
e after n coafts, — Alfo to the weft ward- 



A 



CONVENTION met at Bofton, September i, 
1779, to form a new conflitution of government 
for us, and they chofe a committee to make a 
draught for it, and adjourned. A general faft was 
appointed, to pray for diredion in the affair, on 
November 4 ; and on the tenth, the article was 
brought in, to give rulers power to fupport minif- 
ters by force ; and in order to get a vote for it, 
Mr. John Adams accufed the Baptifts of fending 
?in agent to Philadelphia, when the firft Congrefs 
was fetting there, to try to break the union of thefe 
colonies in the defence of all our privileges. And 
Mr. Paine accufed the Baptifts of reading a long 
memorial there, in which were fome things againft 
our government, which he believed never exifted. 
Many in the Convention were greatly inflamed 
thereby, and a vote was obtained to adopt faid ar- 
ticle. And did not thefe nien, " faft for ftrife and 



1779-] OF NEW.ENGLAND. 215 

debate, and to finite with the fift of wickednefs ?'* 
Tfaiah Iviii. 4. 

As the Baptift agent was foon informed of thefe 
things, he wrote a narrative of the affair, naming 
his accufers, and challenging them to a fair hearing 
upon it, before any proper judges, and publiihed it 
in the Chronicle at Bofton, December 2, 1779 9 
and he has never heard of any anfwer lince. 
Though when the firfl General Court upon the 
Conftitution, met at BoRon, October 25, 1780, a 
chief minifter of the town faid in a fermon before 
them, " I know there is diverlity of fentiments re- 
fpe^ling the extent of civil power in religious mat- 
ters. Inftead of entering into the difpute, may I 
be allowed from the warmth of my heart to recom- 
mend, where confcience is pleaded on both fides, 
mutual candour and love."* 

But do any men plead confcience for violating 
their own promifes ? Or are any confcientious in 
denying all the country the liberty which they 
have long enjoyed in Bofton ? Yea, what do they 
do with their confciences in Bofton, where the laws 
are made, fince they are not enforced there ? And 
if men call intereft confcience, where is their reli- 
gion ? A juft anfwer to thefe queftions may be very 
ferviceable. The views of another minifter, who 
had a hand in forming our Conftitution, difcover 
how far they were from right ideas about the king- 
dom of Chrift ; for he faid to our General Court, 

" The law of felf-prefervation will always juftify 
oppofing a cruel and tyrannical impofition, except 
where oppoiition is attended with greater evils than 
fubmiflion ; which is frequently the cafe where a 
few are opprefTed by a large and powerful majority. 
This (hews the reafon why the primitive Chriftians 
did not oppofe the cruel perfecutions that were in- 
flided upon them by the heathen magiftrates ; 

* Cooper's Sermon, p. 37, 3S. 



2i6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIL 

they were few compared with the heathen world, 
and for them to have attempted to refill their ene- 
mies by force, would have been like a fmall parcel 
of fheep endeavouring to oppofe a large number of 
ravening wolves and favage beafts of prey ; it 
would without a miracle have brought upon them 
inevitable ruin and deftrudion. Hence the wife and 
prudent advice of our Saviour to them was, " When 
they perfecute you in this city, flee ye to another/'* 
But this is fo oppofite to truth, that our Lord 
faid to his heathen judge, " My kingdom is not of 
this world : if my kingdom were of this world, 
then would my fervants fight, that I fliould not be 
delivered to the Jews ; but now is my kingdom not 
from thence." John xviii. 36. And Paul fays, 
" The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but 
mighty through God to the pulling down of ftrong 
holds, calling down imaginations, and every high 
thing that exalteth itfelf againfl the knowledge of 
God, and bringing into captivity every thought to 
the obedience of Chrill." 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. Therefore 
all the ufe of carnal weapons, to fupport religious 
imnillers, that ever has been in the world, has been 
a violation of the laws of Chrift ; for he is the only 
head of his church, and each church that fupports 
her mlnifters in the name of any earthly head, is a 
harlot. And the power of fpiritual weapons was 
fuch, that God again revived his work in 1779, 
and it prevailed fo far for three years, as greatly to 
increafe the old Baptiil churches, and to form above 
thirty new ones in New-England, befide many 
more in the fouthern parts of America. And as 
pure religion is direclly againfl all ofFenfive wars, 
and fills the people of God with an earnefl defire 
and purfult of juftlce and equity, this revival had a 
great influence in procuring the peace of ly^S" 

* Weft's Ekaion Sermon, May 29, 1776, p. 19= 



1784.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 217 

But as it came on, many difcovered more of their 
own blindnefs ; for a minifter of great note in 
Connedicut faid to their Legiflature, " The paf- 
tors are orderly and regularly fet apart to the mia- 
iftry, by the laying on of the hands of the prefby- 
tery, or of thofe who have regularly derived office 
power, in a lineal fucceflion, from the apoftles and 
Jefus Chrift." And though he knew that the firft 
minillers in our country were ordained by their 
churches, and did not hold to fuch a fucceffion, yet 
he faid, " Thefe were all ordained before by the 
bifhops in England."* And they had theirs from 
Rome, the mother of harlots, the great city which 
reigneth over the kings of the earth. Rev. xvii. 5, 
18. Great Britain has loft all her power here, 
and our rulers have fworn to renounce all foreign 
power over America, and yet they compel the peo- 
ple to fupport minifters who claim a power of of- 
fice from England. How fhocking is this ! 

They alfo accufe us of renouncing the true 
God, becaufe we have renounced a fucceffive 
baptifm which came from Rome. For fo many 
had been baptized in Connedicut, that their gen- 
eral aflbciation fet one of their number to write 
againft the Baptifts ; and he faid to them, " When 
you rebaptize thofe in adult years, which we have 
baptized in their infancy, you and they jointly re- 
nounce that Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, whom 
we adore and worihip, as the only living and true 
God, and on whom we depend foi* all our falva- 
tion."t Whereas we have only renounced an in- 
vention of men, which came from Rome, and is 
never named in the word of God. Yet we are 

* Eledion fermon at Hartford, May 8, 1783, by Ezra Stiles, 
p. D. Prefident of Yale College, p. 58, 61. 

f An addrefs to his Anabaptitt brethren, by Jofeph Hunt- 
ington, D. D. 1783, p. 23. 

Dd 



2i8 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XIL 

conftantly complained of, becaufe we cannot re- 
ceive it as his ordinance. 

In the year 1784, the year in which Dr. Chaun- 
cy held up the doclrine of purgatory in Bofton, 
laws were made in Conneclicut to force people to 
fuppo'rt fuch minifters, and the like was foon done 
in the Maffachufetts.- The chief rulers of New- 
Hampihire, for many years, were not of the Con- 
gregational denomination, and therefore the peo- 
ple did not fufFer fo much from them, as they did 
in the MaiTachufetts and Conneclicut, and fo I have 
palled them over. And there is fuch a mixture in 
Vermont, that I have no account of great fufferings 
there. But the behaviour of various parties in 
England at this time, may deferve fome notice. 

Mr. John Wefley was with Mr. Whitefield in 
Oxford College, where they obtained the name of 
Methodifts, becaufe of their ftrid method of adling 
about religion ; and they appeared to be united in 
one caufe, until Wefley came out againft particular 
ele(^ion and final perfeverance, about 1739 ; after 
which Mr. Wefley travelled and laboured earneflly, 
in England, Scotland and Ireland, to promote a par- 
ticular feci, until America became independent of 
Britain ; and then he took the thirty-nine articles 
of the church of England, and reduced them to 
twenty-four, with new forms of prayer and difci- 
pline, and printed them in London, in 1784, and cal- 
led them, " The Sunday fervice in North Amer- 
ica ;*' thus prefuming to be a lawgiver for this 
great country. Many of his followers met in Ma- 
ryland, December 27, 1784, and drew up a pam- 
phlet, called, " A form of difcipline for the Meth- 
odifl Epifcopal church in America.*' They hold 
to three orders of office, one above another, called 
Bifhops, Elders and Deacons, befide preachers who 
are not ordained. They plainly give up the opin- 
ion of a lineal fucceffion from the apoflles, becaufe 
it cannot be proved. They hold to perfeclion in 



1784.] OF NEV/.ENGLAND. 219 

this life, and yet that faints may fall away and 
periih forever. They hold that Chrift died e- 
qually for' all mankind, and that no man is elected 
until he is converted. And if any one who was 
fprinkled in infancy, is not fatisfied with it, and will 
join with them, they will go into the water and 
baptize him. And they have preached thefe fen- 
timents through thefe United States, and into 
Canada and Nova-Scotia. Many have doubtlefs 
been reformed by their means, and fome convert- 
ed ; but they readily receive awakened perfons to 
communion, without a profeffion of regeneration. 
Hereby church and world are as really bound togeth- 
€r, as they were in old worldly eftablifhments ; 
whereas the Son of God fays to his children, " If 
ye were of the world, the world would love his own ; 
but becaufe ye are not of the world, but I have chof- 
en you out of the world, therefore the world hateth 
you." John xv. 19. He chofe, or ^/<f^^(i them out 
of the world, and fo they are elect according to the 
foreknowledge of God the Father, through fandi- 
fication of the Spirit unto obedience, and fprink- 
ling of the blood of Jefus Chrift. i Peter, i. 2, 
God the Father hath chofen us in Chrift, before 
the foundation of the world, that we Ihould be ho- 
ly, and without blame before him in love. Eph. u 
3, 4. He chofe them that they Jhould be holy^ and 
not as they become holy in converfion. If our 
converfton and holinefs were the caufe of God's 
eleding us, our falvation would be of works, and 
not of grace ; and this would alfo exclude all men 
from hope, who fee that they are wholly under fin, 
and have naturally no good thing in them. 

There were many others in England, that held 
to a lineal fucceflion of office, who wanted to have 
power in America ; but as no biftiop could be or- 
dained in England, without fwearing to the king's 
fupremacy. Dr. Samuel Seabury went into Scotland, 
and obtained the name of bifhop of Connefticut^ 



220 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XII. 

from men who claimed a fucceffion from bifhops in 
England, who refufed to fwear allegiance to king 
William, after he came to the throne in 1 689. But 
as this was not liked in England, letters were writ- 
ten to America about it, and one minifter went over 
from New- York, and another from Philadelphia, 
and a fpecial a6l of Parliament then exempted them 
from faid oath, and they were ordained bifhops of 
the ftates where they belonged, to which they re- 
turned in 1786. So that America has men now, 
whom England allows to be regular biftiops, and 
who can make others fo ; but as Britain cannot 
compel us to receive or fupport them, they have 
increafed their denomination but very little any 
where, and they have but one minifter in all the old 
colony of Plymouth ; and their cftablilhment is 
abolifhed in Virginia. 

That colony was firft planted in 1607, the firft 
of all our colonies, and the church of England had 
all the government there until 1775, when Britain 
commenced a war againft us, in which diffenters 
from them prevailed, and took away the fupport 
of thofe minifters by law. And though they tried 
hard to regain their power afterwards, yet in the 
beginning of 1786, a law was made, which faid, 

" Well aware that Almighty God hath created 
the mind free ; that all attempts to influence it by 
temporal puniihments or burthens, or by civil in- 
capocitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrify 
and meannefs, and are a departure from the plan of 
the holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord 
both of body and mind, yet chofe not to propagate 
it by coercions on either, as was in his almighty 
power to do ; that the impious prefumption of 
Legiflatures and rulers, civil or eccleliaftical, who be- 
ing themfelves but fallible and uninfpired men, have 
affumed dominion over the faith of others, fetting 
up their own opinions and modes of thinking as 
the only true and infallible, and as fuch endeavour- 



1786.] GF NEW-ENGLAND. 221 

ing to impofe them on others, have eftablifhed and 
maintained falfe religions over the greateft part of 
the world, and through all time ; that to compel a 
man to furnifh contributions of money for the 
propagation of opinions which he difbelieves is fm- 
ful and tyrannical ; that even the forcing him to 
fupport this or that teacher of his own religious per- 
fuafion, is depriving him of the comfortable liber- 
ty of giving his contributions to the particular 
paftor whofe morals he would make his pattern, 
and whofe powers he feels moft perfuafive to right- 
eoufnefs, and is withdrawing from the miniAry 
thofe temporal rewards, which proceeding from an 
approbation of their perfonal conduct, are an addi- 
tional incitement to earneft and unremitting labours 
for the inftrudion of mankind ; that our civil 
rights have no dependence on our religious opin- 
ions, more than on our opinions in phyiics or 
geometry ; that therefore the profcribing any cit- 
izen as unworthy the public confidence, by laying 
upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of 
truft and emolument, unlefs he profefs or renounce 
this or that religious opinion, is depriving him in- 
jurioufly of thofe privileges and advantages to 
which in common with his fellow-citizens he has a 
natural right ; that it tends alfo to corrupt the 
principles of that very religion it is meant to en- 
courage by bribing with a m.onopoly of worldly 
honours and emoluments, thofe who will externally 
profefs and conform to it ; that though indeed 
thofe are criminal who do not withiland fucli 
temptations, yet neither are thofe innocent who 
lay the bait in their way ; that to fuffer the civil 
magiftrate to intrude his powers into the field of 
opinion, and to reftrain the profeflion or propaga- 
tion of principles on fuppofition of their ill tenden- 
cy, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once defi:roys 
all religious liberty, becaufe he being of courfe judge 
of that tendency, will make his opinions the rule 



222 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XII. 

of judgment, and approve or condemn the fenti- 
ments of others, only as they Ihall fquare with or 
differ from his own ; that it is time enough for the 
rightful purpofes of civil government for its officers 
to interfere when principles break out into overt 
acts againft peace and good order ; and finally, that 
truth is great and will prevail if left to itfelf, that 
flie is the proper and fufficient antagonift to error, 
and has nothing to fear from the conflid, unlefs 
by human interpofition difarmed of her natural 
weapons, free argument and debate ; errors ceafing 
to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to con^ 
tradidl them. 

" Be it therefore enaSledby the General AJfemhly^Hh^X. 
no man fhall be compelled to frequent or fupport 
any religious worihip, place or miniftry whatfoever, 
nor fliall be enforced, reflrained, molefted, or bur- 
thened in his body or goods, nor fhall otherwife 
fufFer on account of his religious opinions or be- 
lief ; but that all men fhall be free to profefs, and 
by argument to maintain, their opinions in mat- 
ters of religion, and that the fame fliall in no wife 
diminifli, enlarge, or afFecl their civil capacities. 

" And though we well know that this Affembly, 
eleded by the people for the ordinary purpofes of 
legiflation only, have no power to reftrain the acls 
of fucceeding AfTemblies, conftituted with powers 
equal to our own, and therefore to declare this a<5i: 
irrevocable, would be of no effecl in law, yet we arq 
free to declare, and do declare, that the rights here- 
by alibrted are of the natural rights of mankind, 
and that if any a6l fliall be hereafter pafled tore- 
peal the prefent, or to narrow its operation, fuch 
acl will be an infringement of natural right."* 

Though many have imagined that fuch liberty 
favours infidelity, yet Chriftianity is in full favour 
of it j and the power of the gofpel, againft all the 

* JeiFerfoji's Notes pn Virginia, p. 242— -244{.. 



178^.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 223 

powers of Rome, prevailed as far and farther than 
the Roman empire extended, for two hundred 
years. And Chriftianity has never appeared in the 
world, in its primitive purity and glory, fmce in- 
fant baptifm was brought in, and after it the fword 
of the magiftrate to fupport religious teachers. 
Yea, the foregoing declaration of Dr. Chauncy 
plainly fays as much ; and the inconfiftencies and 
contradidions, that he and others have been guilty 
of, ferve to confirm the above obfervations. 

The credit of the paper money, which fupported 
our war for feveral years, gradually declined, until 
it entirely failed in 1781 ; fo that if a kind Provi- 
dence had not opened other ways for us, the inde- 
pendence of America could not have been eflablifh- 
ed. And when that was granted, private and pub- 
lic debts, and the fierce methods that were taken 
to recover them, brought on an infurrecftion in the 
Maffachufetts, where the war began. It was then 
found to be necefiary for a new plan to be formed 
for the government of all thefe ftates ; and this 
was done in 1787. A large convention met at Bof- 
ton, in January, 1788, to confider of this new conili- 
tution, where men difcovered what was in their 
hearts in various ways. I before obferved that a con- 
ftitution for the Maffachufetts was formed in 1778, 
which was not accepted. But I would obferve 
now, that when it was in fufpence, a noted minif- 
ter faid to our rulers, " Let the reflraints of reli- 
gion once be broken down, as they infallibly would 
be by leaving the fubjecl of public worfhip to the 
humours of the multitude, and we might well de- 
fy all human wifdom and power to fupport and 
preferve order and government in the ilate."* 
Yet this fame man was in the Convention of 1788, 
wherein much was faid againft adopting a conilitu- 
tion of government, which had no religious tefts 

* Payfon's Eledion Sermon, May 27, 1778, p. 20, 



224 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIL 

in it ; and he was then in favour of the conftitu- 
tlon, and to promote the adoption of it, he faid, 
" The great object of religion being God fupreme, 
and the feat of religion in man being the heart or' 
confcience, that is, the reafon God has giv- 
en us, employed on our moral adions, in their 
moil important confequences, as related to the tri- 
bunal of God, hence I infer, that God alone is the 
God of the confcience, and confequently, attempts 
to ere^ human tribunals for the confciences of 
men, are impious encroachments upon the prerog- 
atives of God."* 

Can thefe two paragraphs, from one man, 
pollibly be reconciled together ? Yea, or can any 
men fupport minifters by the fword of the magif- 
trate, without ading contrary to a good confcience ? 
The fupport of the minifters of Chrift is as 
plainly a matter of confcience towards God, as any 
ordinance of his worfhip is. This I fhall more 
clearly prove hereafter. In the mean time, the 
fentiments and example of the greateft men in 
America, deferve our ferious notice. 

After General Waftiington was eftablifhed as 
Prelident of thefe United States, a general commit- 
tee of the Baptift churches in Virginia prefented 
an addrefs to him, in Auguft, 1789, wherein they 
exprelTed an high regard for him ; but a fear that 
our religious rights were not well fecured in our 
new conftitution of government. In anfwer to 
which, he affured them of his readinefs to ufe his 
influence to make them more fecure, and then faid, 
*' While I recoiled with fatisfadion, that the relig- 
ious fociety of which you are members, have been 
throughout America, uniformly and almoft unan- 
imoufly the firm friends of civil liberty, and the 
perfevering promoters of our glorious revolution, 
I cannot helitrte to believe, that they will be the 
faithful fupporters of a free, yet efficient general 

* Debates in Convention, p. 148. 



1789O OF NEW-ENGLAND. 225 

government/'* And an amendment to the con- 
ftitution was made the next month, which fays, 

" Congrefs fhall make no law, eftablifhing arti- 
cles of faith, or a mode of worfhip, or prohibiting 
the free exercife of religion, or abridging the free- 
dom of fpeech, or of the prefs, or the right of the 
people peaceably to affemble, and to petition to the 
government for a redrefs of grievances." 

This was dated September 23, 1789 ; and it has 
been adopted by fo many of the States, that it is 
part of the conftitution of our general government, 
and yet the MalTachufetts and Connecticut act con- 
trary to it to this day. And fo all the evils that 
worldly eftablifhments have ever produced, ought 
to be confidered as a warning to them ; for our 
Lord aflured the Jews, that all the blood which 
had been fhed by former perfecutors, whom they 
imitated, fliould be required of them. Mat. xxiii. 
29 — ;^s* And the blood that was ihed at Bofton, 
an hundred and forty years ago, brought the great- 
eft reproach upon New-England, of any thing that 
was ever done in it. A miftaken idea of good, in 
maintaining the government of the church over 
the world, was the caufe of that evil ; but the 
worft of men in our land have equal votes with the 
beft, in our prefent government. A view of this 
caufed many fathers in Bofton to procure an ad to 
abolifli the ufe of force there for the fupport of 
religious minifters ; and all that is done of that 
nature in the country, is contrary to that example, 
as well as to our national government. 

A work of the Spirit of God at this time dif- 
covcred the glory of a free gofpel ; for many new 
plantations on our eaftern coafts had fcarce any 
minifters at all to preach to them, as a view to 
worldly gain could not draw them there j but a 

* Leland's Virginia Chronicle, p. 47, 48, 

Ee 



22(S A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIL 

man, who was born in 1734, and fettled near Ken- 
nebec river, was converted in October, 1 78 1 5 and 
then faid, " Now I began to fee the bafe views I 
formerly had of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and of the 
plan of falvation ; for when I had a difcovery of 
actual fins, and of the danger I was expofed to 
thereby, I would repent and reform, and think what 
a glorious Saviour Chrift was, and that fome time 
or other he would fave me from hell, and take me 
to glory, with a deiire to be happy, but no defire to 
be holy. But, glory to God ! he now gave me 
another view of falvation. Now I faw his law to 
be holy, and loved it, though I and all my conduct 
was condemned by it. Now I faw that God's juf- 
tice did not ftrike againft me as his creature, but 
as a finner ; and that Chrift died not only to fave 
from punifhment, but from fin itfelf. I faw that 
Chrift's office was not only to make men happy, 
but alfo to make them holy ; and the plan now 
looked beautiful to me, and I had no defire to have 
the leaft tittle of it altered, but all my cry was ta 
be conformed to this glorious plan." 

It appeared to him to be his duty to leave the care 
of his farm to his wife and children, and to go from 
houfe to houfe, for many miles round, to converfe 
with all he could meet with, about the concerns of 
their fouls and eternal falvation. And though ma- 
ny were ftupid at firft, yet in the beginning of 
1782, powerful effects appeared, fo that they fet up 
religious meetings, and one after another came 
out into fpiritual liberty, and he and others were 
led into the Baptift principles, even before they 
had feen a Baptift minifter. But hearing of thefe 
things at a diftance, fome preachers went among 
them, and the work was promoted thereby, and it 
went on through the year 1783. In May, 1784, a 
Baptift church was formed in Bowdoinham, and 
another in Thomafton, and paftors were fettled in 
each of them. A church was alfo formed in Harpf. 



1790.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 127 

well, January 20, 1785, and a paftor was ordained 
there the fall after. Thefe three churches began 
an affociation in 1787, which increafed to fix 
churches in 1790, and 317 members. 

Thefe new churches had many fecret and open 
enemies to encounter in a wildernefs ; yet God 
was pleafed to revive his work again in 1791, fo 
that five churches were formed in that year, and 
four in 1792. And by Auguft, 1802, they had in- 
creafed to forty-one churches, and twenty-five or- 
dained minifters, in the counties of Cumberland, 
Lincoln and Kennebec, and 1754 members, befide 
many preachers who were not ordained. So many 
in eighteen years. In the mean tim€ there was 
fuch a revival granted in and near Swanfea, in 
1789, and on our weftern borders in that and the 
year before, that above five hundred perfons were 
baptized in thofe places. To open ftill more 
clearly the nature of what thefe people call religion, 
I fliall give a diftind account of one new church on 
our weftern borders. 

In the adjoining borders of Bethlehem, Sandif- 
field and Tyringhara, in the county of Berkfhire, a 
number of people, who lived remote from parifh 
meetings, fet up a meeting among themfelves, in 
1784, to pray, fing, and to read ferm^ons ; and they 
concluded not to admit any man who was not a 
Paedobaptift to carry on among them. And they 
went on in that way, until a man who was a Bap. 
tift came to their meeting in the fall of 1787 ; and 
as he fpake in public at times, they allowed him to 
do fo once among them. This he did to their fat- 
isfadion, fo that they defired him to proceed in 
that way, and fuch a blefling was granted on his 
labours, that a Baptift minifter was fent for in 
March, 1788, when nineteen perfons were baptized 
and formed into a church, called the Second Bap- 
tift church in Sandisfield. And they increafed to 
forty members, when Mr. Benjamin Baldwin was 



228 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIL 

ordained their paftor, June 9, 1790. They after- 
wards met with cruel oppreflion from the Con- 
gregational party, from which they in vain fought 
for relief in courts ; though their oppreiTors at 
length gave up fuch proceedings. Yet declenfion 
and coldnefs came on among the Baptifts, until 
the work of God was again revived among them 
in June, 1798, and prevailed through the winter 
after. And they fay, " conferences and lectures 
were attended in Sandisfield, Bethlehem and Tyr- 
ingham, and in the two laft places almoft every 
night in the week. Neither ftorms of fnow, nor 
piercing cold could obilrucl their attending divine 
worfhip. The moft delicate characters did not ob- 
ferve the feverity of the weather, in following Je- 
fus down the banks of Jordan into the liquid 
grave. This work appeared to go on with great 
folemnity, and fcarce an inftance appeared of any 
overheated zeal, or flight of paffion. Both linners 
under conviction, and thofe who were newly 
brought into the liberty of the gofpel, converfed 
in their meetings with the greatefl freedom ; they 
fpake one at a time, in the moft folemn and im- 
preffive manner. Their enemies were bound, and 
there was not a dog to move his tongue. It ap- 
peared alfo in the firft church, and in neighbour- 
ing towns. In one year there were added to this 
church about iixty, and about as many to the firft 
church, and fome to other churches. In the fol- 
lowing years, about twenty were added to our 
church each year. Our prefent number is ly^i 
November i?, 1801." 



1 793-] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 229 



CHAP. XIII. 

Manning* s charader and death. Others raifed to/up- 
ply his place. — The increafe of the Baptijis makes 
others expofe themf elves. — Cruelty Jhown to the Bap- 
tijis. — Their Jirji church in Connedicut better treat- 
ed. — They increafe there. — Religion greatly revived 
through the^ country. — Even to Virginia, Georgia and 
Kentucky. — A book from England reprinted againjl 
them,-^Remarks upon it. 



D 



R. Manning was a faithful preacher of the 
gofpel, and Prefident of our College, for twenty 
five years, until he was called out of our world, 
July 29, 1 79 1, in his fifty-third year. He was a 
good inftrufter in human learning, but at every 
commencement he gave a folemn charge to 
his fcholars, never to prefume to enter 
into the work of the miniftry, until they were 
taught of God, and had reafon to conclude that they 
had experienced a faving change of heart. And a 
tutor in the college, who appeared to have met 
with fuch a change in Oclober, 1789, was inftru- 
mental of a revival of religion, both in the college 
and in the town, and he was called into the minif- 
try, and then was a Prefident of the College eleven 
years. And then another tutor was hopefully 
converted, and called into the miniflry, and has 
been Prefident ever fince. And 1 hope fucceeding 
ages will follow thefe examples. 

But as the Baptifls increafed much, in many 
parts of our land, a minifter in the wefl part of the 
MafTachufetts endeavoured to make an improve- 
ment upon the plan which Dr. Stiles had publifhed 
in Connedlicut ; and his book was fo pleafing to 
many, that it palTed fix editions in about two 
years, the lafl of which was at Boflon, in 1793. His 
jtejtt is Mat. vii. 15, 16 ; and he tried all his art to 



230 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIII. 

reprefent all teachers in our land to be wolves in 
flieep's clothing, who were not ordained by min- 
ifters who hold a fucceffion from England, and 
who do not regard pariCh lines. And he fays, " A 
good ihepherd attends to his own proper charge ; 
the wolf is a rapacious, prowling animal, not fatif- 
fied with taking out of one flock, he roams from 
flock to flock, and can never have enough/' And 
of an uninterrupted fucceflion from the apoftles, 
he fays, " It is by no means neceflary, that by hif- 
torical dedudion, we fliould prove an uninterrupt- 
ed fucceflion ; we have a right to prefume it, un- 
til evidence appears to the contrary."* But God 
fays, " Who hath required this at your hands to 
tread my courts ? Your hands are full of blood,'* 
Ifaiah i. i2, 15. And the bloody hands of teachers 
in Rome and England, could never convey juft; au- 
thority to any other minifters. 

This was fo evident to the fathers of this coun- 
try, that they allowed none to be paflors of their 
churches, but fuch as each church elected and or- 
dained, as I before proved. And Mr. Cotton faid, 
*' The power of the minifterial calling is not deriv- 
ed from ordination, whether Epifcopal, or Prefby- 
terial, or Congregational. The power of the minif- 
terial calling is derived chiefly from Chrift, furnifli- 
ing his fervants with gifts fit for the calling ; and 
nextly from the church (or congregation) who ob- 
ferving fuch whom the Lord hath gifted, do eledl 
and call them forth to come and help them."f 

From hence came the name Congregational, the 
meaning of which many have departed from, 
though they ftill ufurp the name. But it is well 
known in America, that it is the eledion of the 
people, that gives our civil officers their power, 
and not the oaths which they take from other offi- 

* Lathrop^s Dlfcourfes, p. 26, $6. 

f Anfwer to Williams, part fecond, p. 82. 



1 793-] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 231 

cers. And ordination of minifters is no more than 
fwearing them to be faithful in that office. Their 
being furnifhed with grace and gifts for it, is the 
mod eflential thing in the affair ; for an infpired 
apoftle fays, " As every man hath received the gift, 
even fo minifter the fame one to another, as good 
ftewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man 
fpeak, let him fpeak as the oracles of God ; if any 
man minifter, let him do it as of the ability which 
God giveth ; that God in all things may be glori- 
fied through Chrift Jefus. The Elders which are 
among you I exhort, who am alfo an Elder, and a 
witnefs of the fufferings of Chrift, and alfo a par- 
taker of the glory that (hall be revealed ; feed the 
flock of God which is among you, taking the over- 
fight thereof, not by conftraint, but willingly ; not 
for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; neither as 
being lords over God's heritage, but being enfam- 
ples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd 
fiiall appear, ye fhall receive a crown of glory that 
fadeth not away. Likewife ye younger, fubmit 
yourfelves unto the elder ; yea, all of you be fub- 
jed one to another, and be clothed with humility ; 
for God refifteth the proud, and giveth grace to 
the humble." i Peter iv. 10, 11. v. i — 5. 

Here we may plainly fee, that the gifts and gra- 
ces which God beftows on men for the miniilry, 
gives them their internal call to go into that work ; 
and the union of the church in calling and receiving 
them, and the acting as a united body, is the ef- 
fence of the government which Chrift has eftablifli- 
ed in each of his churches. All men who claim a 
power of office above the churches, defire to be 
lords over God's heritage. And we muft not for- 
get, that teachers are to be known by their fruits, 
and not by ordination. Thorns and thiftles wound 
the flefli, or tear away the property of others ; 
which is done by imprifoning their perfons, or 
taking away their goods unjuftly. If we regard 



232 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIIL 

this rule, which Chrift has given to know falfe 
teachers by, how plainly do they appear in our 
land ? A great many inftances of imprifonment, 
and fpoiling of goods, to fupport minifters whom 
the people did not choofe, have been given already, 
and more are before us. 

The Baptift church in Barn liable was formed, 
June 20, 1771, and they were not free of fufFer- 
ings, though they were not great, until God re- 
vived his work there in 1781, and it increafed 
their church and fociety, and they ordained a paftor 
therein, in 1788, who had preached to them five 
years. Yet in that time, and in two years after, 
more than an hundred and fifty dollars were forced 
from them for minifi:ers whom they did not hear. 
But the committee of the Warren AiTociation met 
at Bofton, in January, 1791, and wrote to the offi- 
cers of the pariihes who opprelTed them^ in fuch a 
manner as caufed them to refrain from proceeding 
in that way, though they did not refi:ore the mo- 
ney which they had taken away unjufi:ly. Much 
greater evils were foon after done in another place ; 
for a Baptifi: church was formed and organized in 
the fouth part of Harwich in 1757, and they built 
them a meeting-houfe, and carried on their wor- 
fliip for about forty years, when there was no Con- 
gregational minifier in that parifh. But when the 
Baptifts were without a paftor, in the fall of 
1792, a Congregational minifter was ordained 
there, and the Baptifts treated him in a friendly 
manner, while they ftill maintained their own wor- 
Ihip, and foon got them another minifter. Yet 
after they had done it, a few of the Congregational 
party, in the beginning of 1794, taxed all the Bap- 
tift church and fociety to their minifter ; and near 
the clofe of 1795, they imprifoned fix men for it, 
and forced away much property from others. This 
was fo glaringly unjuft, and even contrary to the 
law of the government, that the Baptifts fued for 



1796.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 2^^ 

recompenfe, in 17965 and obtained judgment in 
their favour, in their county court. But their op- 
preiTors appealed to their fuperior court, and ob- 
tained judgment againft the Baptifts, who in the 
whole loft above five hundred dollars. Falfe witnef- 
fes had an evident hand in this. And as the Con- 
gregational party found that their courts favoured 
them, they thought they might do as they pleafed. 

An aged and pious Baptift deacon, who never 
was of the Congregational party, wrote to Bofton 
November 12, 1799, and faid, "On the 26th of 
laft July, the Collector of Harwich came and feized 
about four or five bufliels of my rye, and carried 
it off, and fold it for one dollar, and made above 
two dollars charge on it ; and on the 13th of Au- 
guft, the fame Collector, Edward Hall, came and 
feized about three tons of my hay, and carried it 
off, and fold it for forty nine (hillings, and return- 
ed me five ftiillings and fix pence. For all this I 
was taxed to their minifter but feven {hillings and 
a penny. I have given you as exadl account 
as pofiible. Thefe from yours in gofpel bonds, 

ABNER CHASE." 

The rye was taken out of the field before it was 
threilied, fo that the exact quantity was not known. 
Now the only reafon that is given in our conftitu- 
tion of government, for empowering rulers to fup- 
port teachers by force, is becaufe " the happinefs 
of a people, and the good order of civil govern- 
ment eflentially depend upon piety, religion and 
morality." But how oppofite hereto is the above 
conduct ! Our Lord fays, " All things whatfoever 
ye would that men fliould do to you, do ye even 
fo to them 5 for this is the law and the prophets." 
Mat. vii. 12. And is there one man among us, 
who would be willing to be compelled to fupport 
any teacher that he never chofe ? Yet this is the 
natural confequence of allowing any men to fup- 
F F 



234 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIIL 

port teachers by the fword of the magiflrate. And 
this pradice has canfed the efFufion of blood, 
among all nations, more than any other means in 
the world. And the combination of rulers and 
teachei^s herein, I believe,^ is the bead and falfe pro- 
phet, which will finally be caft into the burning 
lake. Rev. xix. 20. When this fhallbe done, the 
glory of the latter day will come on, as it is de- 
scribed in the next chapter ; though this- great 
CTcnt is freely left with Him to whom it belongs. 
But as God never allowed Ifrael to ufe any force 
for the fupport of his priefts, how can any be wil- 
ling to ufe compulfion for the fupport of religious 
minifters ? No man can b^ fatisfied that others have 
a right to take away his property for nothing, yea, 
and worfe than nothing. 

Any Congregational minifter may avoid oppref- 
fing the people if he will. This appeared plain in 
the cafe of the firft Baptift church in Connedlicut* 
It was formed about 1705, in the town of Groton, 
under the miniftry of Mr. Volentine Wightman* 
They fuffered fome at firft, but when Mr. John 
Owen became the minifter of the town, he was not 
for forcing any money from the Baptifts ; and 
when the great revival of religion came on, he and 
Wightman were agreed in it, until the latter died 
in 1 747. His fon, Timothy Wightman, was ordain- 
ed in his place. May 20, 1756, and he was a faith- 
ful and fuccefsful minifter, until he died joyfully, 
November 14, 1796, aged near 7R, when he left 
2 1 5 members in his church. After which his fon, 
John Gano Wightman, fucceeded him in that office. 
A daughter of their firft paftor married a Mr. Rath- 
bun, two of whofe fons, and two of his grandfons, 
are ordained Baptift minifters, and fo have been 
fome others of the Wightman family. 

Their lirft minifter affifted in forming a Baptift 
church in Stonington, in 1743, and a fecond wa» 
formed there in 1765. But a number there and 



J 799-] , OF NE W.ENGLAND. 235 

more in Groton were then for continuing the com- 
munion of the two denominations together, and 
many churches were formed upon that plan -, and 
they began a yearly meeting in 1785, called, llie 
Groton Conference. But they have given up 
mixed communion in later years, and are come in-^ 
to connexion with the rcil of our affociatioBS. 

Much decienfioh and coldnefs about religion came 
on in 1 797, which was lamented by the f ait hfulof dif- 
ferent denominations ; but a great work came on in 
thefpring of 1798, in many parts of America. It 
began at Mansfield in Connedicut, in a remarkable 
manner. A letter from Windham in October 
mentions it, and fays, " The Spirit of the Lord 
feemed to fw'eep all before it, like an overflowing 
flood, though with very little noife or crying 
out. It was wonderful to fee the furprifing altera- 
tion in that place in fo ihort a time. I conclude 
there are not lefs than an hundred fouls con- 
verted in that town fince the work began. It foon 
after began in Hampton, but did not fpread with 
that degree of rapidity as it did in Mansfield. The 
fame happy work has lately taken place in Afh- 
/ord.'* Soon after this, Hartford, their capital 
"city, experienced the like work among the Con- 
gregational and Baptift focieties. A Prefbyterian 
minifler, who went from the Maifaichufetts to a 
town above them, faid on February 6, 1799, " I 
{topped at Hartford, and preached five fermons. 
The fpirit of hearing at Hartford is greater than 
any reprefentations which have been made. Young 
people of both fexes flock by hundreds, and the 
profped is flattering in the extreme. Conference 
meetings are held every night in different private 
houfes. In Mr. Strong's fociety fixty are thought 
to be under conviction, and twenty have been 
hopefully brought into gofpel liberty. In *Mr. NeL 

^ Nelfon's church are Baptifts. 



20^6 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIII. 

fon's thirty, and fome in Mr. Flint's. This faered 
flame has fpread into many neighbouring towns, 
and the pious are flocking into Hartford to be eye 
witneffes of this glorious work. I have felt myfelf 
fo much engaged in preaching, viliting and con- 
verling with old and young, that my attention has 
been literally taken off from wife, children, flock, 
and bodily infirmities." It was faid that this work 
fpread, more or lefs, into an hundred towns in 
Conneclicut. , 

In April, 1798, Mr. Blood, paftor of a Baptift 
church at Shaftfbury in Vermont, had his foul 
greatly affeded with the low ftate of religion among 
them, with earneft cries that God would pour out 
his fpirit upon the fouls of men, and fave them from, 
fln and ruin. In July following, a perfon who had 
been converted before, came forward in baptifm ; 
and her declaration and example awakened many 
others, and four were baptized in Auguft, and fev- 
enteen in September. And the work went on in 
fuch a manner, that on February 21, 1799, he faid, 
*VThe whole number added to this church, fince 
lad May, is 175 ; 25 by letter and other ways, and 
J 50 by baptifm. Our whole number is 346. Ma- 
ny of this number are removed into different parts 
of the country ; there are, however, nearly 300 
that live in the vicinity, the remotefl: of them 
not more than fix miles from our meeting-houfe. 
There are alfo about 70 added to the weft church 
in this town fmce the work began ; and 13 to the 
eaft church. In years paft there has not been the 
moft cordial fellowfliip between the three churches 
in this town ; but the Lord has now effefted a hap- 
py union between us. On the laft Lord's-day in Jan- 
uary, we ,all met at one communion table. That 
happy day my foul had defired for years. Noth- 
ing but experience could have made me believe it 
poffible, that I could have felt fo much folid' de- 
light, anticipated fo much trouble, and rejoiced 



1799-] OF ^NEW-ENGLAND. 237 

with fo much trembling, at one and the fame time. 
That day i truft will never be forgotten- by me. 
In about two months after the work began, the 
whole town feemed to be affected. Conference 
meetings were attended two or three tinies in a 
week in almoft every neighbourhood ; and it was 
furpriiing to me, that fcarcely a fingle inftance ap- 
peared of any overheated zeal, or flight of paflion. 
Both finners under convicVion, and thofe newly 
brought into the liberty of the gofpel, converfed 
in their meetings with the greateft freedom ; they 
fpake one at a time a few words, in the moft fol- 
emn manner I ever heard people in my life. And 
in general they fpake fo low, that their affemblies 
muft be perfec1:ly fHU, or they could not hear 
them ; yet a remarkable power attended their conr 
verfation. Sinners would tremble as though they 
felt themfelves in the immediate prefence of the 
great Jehovah. Some of all ranks and characters 
among us have been taken ; from the mofl refpec- 
table members of fociety, to the vilefl in the place. 
Some of our mofl noted Deifls have bowed the 
knee to King Jefus ; and a number of Univerfalifls 
have forfaken their delufions, and embraced the 
truth." And when the Shaftfbury Affociation 
met in June, 1799, they had accounts that 259 had 
been added in the year, to the three churches in 
Shaftfbury, and not one member had died in that 
time. Alfo that the addition to their whole affo- 
ciation that year was y^z> 

' This work was alfo great on our eaflern coaftg. 
Mr. Peter Powers, a Congregational minifler on 
Deer-Ifland in Penobfcot Bay, wrote from thence, 
March 20, 1799, andfaid, "In the beginning of 
June laft, I was called to Mount-Defert to adminif- 
ter facraments to a church who have not a flated 
paflor, and tarried with them about nine days ; 
when, in preaching my fecond fermon, the glory 
of the Lord came down in a wonderful manner. One 



23S A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIIL 

convicted, and hopefully converted under the fer- 
mon, was added to the church about two days after, 
and three others who had before obtained a hope. 
Three months after this I went again to adminifter 
the Lord's Supper, at which time I admitted twen- 
ty-eight who had hopefully been brought home in 
the interval. The work of convidion was then 
going on powerfully in the town, and fpreading 
into thofe adjoining on the fame ifland. Our af- 
fociation had licenfed dear Mr. Ebenezer Eaton to 
preach, who improved his talent, labouring night 
and day among them, whom the Lord remarkably 
owned. How many have been brought out fince 
I was there, I am not informed ; but according to 
the beft accounts, there are many. The Lord 
multiply the number, and add to the church of fuch 
as Ihall be faved. 

" I now come a little nearer home. In the be- 
ginning of winter, this glorious work began in 
Sedgwick, under the paftoral care of the Rev. Dan- 
iel Merrill. Perhaps there hath not been a work fo 
powerful, and fo much like the work fifty-eight 
years ago. In a time of fuch cxtraordinaries, it 
could not reafonably be expected but fome things 
would be a little wild and incoherent, confidering 
the various tempers, infirmities and difpofitions of 
mankind: but I believe my young dear brother 
Merrill, together with exp€rienced Chriftians, were 
very careful to diftinguifh the precious from the 
vile ; to correct errors, to fet them in the way of his 
Jieps^ fo that there appears to be no prevalence of 
enthufiafm among them, according to the beft in- 
formation. How great the number is of thofe who 
have been brought to hope, I am not able to give 
any tolerable account. Some fay there are about 
an hundred, others about double that number ; I 
believe they are all very uncertain. BleiTed be 
God, the work is yet going on there^^ though ^Qt 
with equal rapidity. 



1799-] ^^ NEW-ENGLAND. 239 

" And now, dear Sir, let your imagination paint 
to your view the ftriking fcene of an hundred 
fouls, men, women, and children, at the fame time 
under the work of the law. The tears, fobs, 
groans and cries iffuing from fcores at a time ! All 
the terrors of the law crowding and preffing in up- 
on them ; their fms, in infinite number and aggra- 
vations, ftaring them in the face ; all their old vain 
hopes gone, and cut off, and every refuge failing ! 
Hear them freely confeffing their old abominations, 
their former enmity to the great do6:rines of orig- 
inal fin, election, the fovereignty of divine free 
grace, the power of God difplayed in effectual vo- 
cation ; above all, the jufi:ice of God in their dam- 
nation ! How often are fouls brought out into peace 
and comfort of the love of God, and the fweet 
confolations of the Holy Spirit 1 The dead hear the 
voice of the Son of God, and live. Children are 
brought to cry, " Hofanna to the Son of David/' 
Indeed this glorious work has been wonderful 
among children ; and God has made inftruments 
of them to perfect praife in carrying on his work. 

" This bleffed work of God has begun in Blue- 
Hill ; but as yet has not gained the afcendency. 
I fhall therefore come to my own dear people of 
Deer-Ifle. And here, perhaps, the work is as re- 
markable as at Sedgwick, but not fo rapid. Not 
more than eight months ago it appeared to me 
that religion was near expiring among^ us, except 
in a very handful of profeffors. Deifm had taken 
an unaccountable ftride, and fpread itfelf over a 
great number of the inhabitants. And now, no 
Bible, no Chrift ; but the Chrifl;ian religion, and 
Chrifi;ians, were the fong of the drunkard ; and ev- 
ery drunkard, and every vice, was deemed harm- 
lefs, and inoffenfive to God. I had no reafon to 
think but by the next annual meeting of the 
, town, they would vote the gofpel out from them. 
When the aforementioned work at Penobfcot and 



340 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIIL 

Mount-Defert was going on, it feemed to have no 
influence on our people. This, you may be fure, 
v/as very grievous to me. However, I think I was 
enabled to bear witnefs to the truth with great 
freedom. In October, I perceived a more clofe at- 
tention to the word, but nothing fpecial as yet. 
After I was confined to my houfe, the work began 
to appear ; and though I could not go abroad to 
preach at the meeting-houfe, there was feldom a day 
but more or lefs vilited me under their trouble, and 
I preached in my own houfe when I was not able 
to ftand on my feet. At length we had the affift- 
ance of Mr. E. Eaton, whom God remarkably 
owns. I believe there are about forty, men, wo- 
men, and children, who have obtained a hope ; and 
great numbers are under preffing conviclion. The 
work is now on the increafe. May the Lord con- 
tinue and ftill increafe it, till they are all brought in. 
The mouth of deifm is at prefenf flopped, and a- 
gainft the children of Ifrael not fo much as a dog 
is fuffered to move his tongue.'* 

A Baptifl minifter of Lyme in Connecticut, on 
June ^o^ 1 799, wrote to Bofton, and faid, " Though 
the feverity of lail winter was tedious, yet I have not 
heard any one complain, or flirink at the crofs, on 
account of the coldnefs of the weather. This work 
has been glorioully carried on in the fpirit of love. 
In the firft part of it, there was great crying out, 
but it gradually fubfided into free deliberate con- 
verfation on the dreadful fituation they were in by 
nature, and their full determination to continue 
feeking till they fhould find him of whom Mofes 
and the prophets did write. I never faw lefs op- 
pofition to any work of God I ever was acquainted 
with. — More than a hundred we hope have re- 
ceived the grace of God, and more than eighty have 
joined with our church. — The prefent number of 
members, is three hundred and thirty-fix." 



i8oo.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 241 

Extracts from thefe and other letters were print- 
ed in a pamphlet at Bofton, and afterwards at Phil- 
adelphia. At the fame time they had a great work 
among the Baptifts near Kennebec river. Elder 
James Potter, the inftrument of beginning the re- 
vival there, had ninety-feven members added to 
his church in Bowdoin, in 1798 and '99 ; and five 
hundred and feventy-five were then added to the 
whole of their alTociation. And Bofton, Bridgwa- 
ter, Middleborough, and many other places had a 
fliare of thefe bleffings ; and fo had fome places to 
the fouthward. 

I received a letter from elder Benjamin Wat- 
kins of Virginia, dated June 30, 1801, in which he 
fays, " I have lived to fee feveral revivals in our 
parts, but the laft has been the greateft, which 
originated about two years ago, in feveral churches 
belonging to the middle diftricl aflbciation. Be- 
fore the revival began, wickednefs had gotten to a 
great height. Deifm and irreligion abounded on 
every hand. Profeffors had become very carnal, 
many had apoftatized, fo that there were but a few 
names in Sardis who had not defiled their gar- 
ments ; fo that I had fome awful fears about our 
condition, and was dreading that fome great judg- 
ment would befall our wretched land. But con- 
trary to my fears, the Lord vifited us in a way of 
mercy, by ftirring up his church often to affemble 
together, and to carry on worfhip by prayer and 
fafting, CdWcd prayer rneetings. And he came amongft 
us, and the facred flame has fpread in various parts 
of Virginia ; fo that we may truly fay. The lines 
are fallen unto us in pleafant places, and we have a 
goodly heritage. 

*' Our church, called Spring Creek, has an addi- 
tion by baptifm, fince the revival began, of up- 
wards of 200 members j brother Clay's about the 
fame number, or more \ Brother Smith's about an 
G o. 



242 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIIl. 

hundred ; Tomahawk Church about fifty ; Skin- 
quarter near an hundred ; elder Webber's church 
two hundred or more ; and feveral other churches 
have had fome fmart additions. The v/ork has 
chiefly been among the young people j there has 
not been nigh fo much noife amongft us, as there 
was in 1785 and '86. Many would come and give 
a declaration of the work of God upon their fouls^ 
that made no noife at all ; and, what was remarka- 
able, a number of children, from ten to fifteen 
years of age, would come and tell of the goodnefs 
of God, while the old people, who had lived to fee 
feveral revivals, are iliil left out, expofed to the 
wrath and difpleafure of God." 

All the churches mentioned above, are in the 
three counties of Powhatan, Chefterfield and 
Goochland, in the middle part of Virginia, a little 
above the city of Richmond, their capital. I had 
much delight in preaching in all of them, when I 
was there in the fpring of 1789, when they had a- 
bout two hundred Baptifi: churches in the whole of 
Virginia. And the work has been great fince in 
many places farther fouthward. A minifter in the 
upper part of Georgia wrote to his friend in Sa- 
vannah, Nov. 17, 1 80 1 , and faid, " feveral churches 
here, within three or four months paft, have re- 
ceived and baptized from twenty to fifty perfons ;. 
and one in Elbert county has had an addition by 
baptifm of about an hundred and forty. And ac- 
cording to the beft accounts from Kentucky, there 
have been added to the Baptift churches, fince laft 
March, near Hx thoufand, while multitudes were 
joining to the Methodifi:s and Prefbyterians." 

This was put into our public papers, and fent in- 
to all the country. Thofe who held to infant bap- 
tifm were very uneafy under fuch things, which 
they difcovered in a remarkable manner ; for ear- 
ly in 1 802, a book from England was reprinted at 
Exeter , in Ne w-Hampfliire, written by a minifter who 



iS02.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 245 

had been a Baptift, who held up to th« world, that 
the greateft writers in England ag^inft infant bap^ 
tifm were guilty of fophiftry and deceit in their ar- 
guments, as he had clearly found by experience. 
And it was faid that this teftimony had been pub- 
liflied feven years in England, and no anfwer had 
been made to it. This was fo wonderful, that it 
pafTed four or five editions in about a year, in the 
different States of New-England. But when this 
glorying was at the higheft, an anfwer came out of 
the prefs at Boflon, in December, 1802, which was 
firft publiihed in London the fame year that the firll 
book came out there. The facls here follow. 

Mr. Peter Edwards was firft a zealous advocate 
for infant baptifm in London, and then turned fud- 
jdenly from it ; became a Baptift preacher, and was 
ordained in a Baptift church near Portfmouth in 
England ; but in about ten years he changed again, 
and publifhed this book, to give the reafons for his 
renouncing the principles of the Baptifts, in the be- 
ginning of 1795 ; and Dr. Jofeph Jenkins of Lon* 
don anfwered him in the fame year. Edwards 
holds up, with much confidence, that faith and re- 
pentance vi^ere required of all adult perfons, in order 
for circumcifion as well as baptifm ; and therefore 
that all which is faid in the gofpel about the bap- 
tizing of believers, is no argument againft believers 
having their infants baptized. He accufeth the 
Baptifts in general of denying the ufe of inferences 
and confequences, in arguments for infant baptifm, 
but of ufing them againft that pradice, which he 
calls fophiftry and deceit. Having difarmed the 
Baptifts, as he imagined, he lays down his founda- 
tion in thefe words : " i. God has inftituted 
in his church the memberfhip of infants, and 
admitted them to it by a religious rite. 2. The 
church memberfhip of infants was never fet afide 
by God or man ; but continues in force, under the 
fanclion of God, to the prefent day." p. 90. 



244 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIII. 

But as the Baptifts never denied the true ufe of 
inferences and confequences in any argument, the 
charge of deceit and fophiftry muft be turned back 
upon him who advanced it ; and whether his foun- 
dation can ftand, may be judged of by the follow- 
ing things. 

I. Circumcifion was not known in the world, 
for above two thoufand years after it was created ; 
and who will fay that God had no church in the 
world for all that time ? Yea, when circumcifion 
was inftituted, Lot, and other righteous men had 
no concern in it ; neither had any females among 
the pofterity of Abraham, though women are bap- 
tized under the gofpel as well as men. 2. God faid 
to Ifrael, " The life of the flefti is in the bloody and 
I have given it to you upon the altar, to make an 
atonement for your fouls." Levit. xvii. 11. And 
no worfhip was ever accepted of God from the be- 
ginning without blood in Sacrifices. Abraham fhed 
his own blood in circumcifion, as the father of all 
believers in all nations. Rom. iv. 18. And thus he 
was a type of Chrifi: who flied his blood to atone 
for the fins of all true believers, even to the end of 
the world. 3. Abraham had no right to circum- 
cife any male but fuch as were born in his houfe, 
or bought with his money ; and he circumcifed all 
the men of his houfe, the fame day that he circum- 
cifed himfelf, of whom he had before three hundred 
and eighteen foldiers. Gen. xiv. 14. xvii. 13, 27. 
And how far is this from a warrant for infant 
baptifm ! 4. No females were to be circumcifed, 
to fliew that it was a man and not a woman who 
was to die for us. 5. The bloody fign of circum- 
cifion weakened men fo much, that two men de- 
ftroyed a whole city, three days after the men in 
it were circumcifed. Gen. xxxiv. 25. But no in- 
fant that ever was fprinkled, could know that it 
was done, if they were not told of it by others. 
So far are they from anfwering a good confciencc 



i8o2.] OF NEW.ENGLAND. 245 

in baptifm, i Peter iii. 21. None but believers 
can do it. 6. Abraham was not to circumcife any 
ftranger, until he had bought him as a fervant with 
his money, which was a type of our being bought 
with the blood of Chrift ; and after he had done 
it, he faid, " Circumcifion is nothing, and uncir- 
cumcifion is nothing, but the keeping the com- 
mandments of God. Ye are bought with a price ; 
be not ye the fervants of men.'' i Cor. vii. 19, 23, 
Which is a plain repeal of the covenant of circum- 
cifion. It was a type of the death of Chrift to 
come, and baptifm is to be done by faith in him 
who Ts already come. This is a reafon why men 
might be circumcifed before they believed, and 
why baptifm is only for profefling believers. 7. 
Since he is come, he fays, " Ye are all the children 
of God by faith in Chrift Jefus. For as many of 
you as have been baptized into Chrift, have put 
on Chrift. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there 
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor 
female ; for ye are all one in Chrift Jefus. And if 
ye be Chrift's, then are ye Abraham's feed, and 
heirs according to the promife. Gal. iii. 26 — 29. 
Three things are here excluded from baptifm, 
which were eftential in circumcifion. 8. The chil- 
dren of Ifrael had no right to admit ftrangers by 
houfeholds, to circumcifion and the pafTover, until 
the day in which they came out of Egypt. Exod. 
xii. 43 — 51. But when they were going into Bab- 
ylon, it was faid, " Behold the days come, faith the 
Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the 
houfe of Ifrael, and with the houfe of Judah, not 
according to the covenant that I made with their 
fathers in the day that I took them by the hand, 
to bring them out of the land of Egypt (which my 
covenant they break, although I was an hufband 
unto them, faith the Lord ;) but this fhall be the 
covenant that I will make with the houfe of Ifrael, 
After thofe days, faith the Lord, I will put my law 



24^ A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XIIL 

in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts^ 
and I will be their God, and they ftiall be my peo- 
ple. And they fhali teach no more every man his 
neighbour, and every man his brother, faying. 
Know the Lord; for they fhall all know me, 
from the leaft of them unto the greateft of them, 
faith the Lord ; for I will forgive their iniquity, 
and I will remember their fm no more." Jer. xxxi. 
31 — 34. This is the pure covenant of grace, lincc 
the death of Chrift hath taken away the old cove- 
nant. Heb. viii. 7 — 13. Language cannot diftin- 
guiih two covenants more clearly, than God hath 
here done it. And until old and new, firft and fe- 
cond, can be made to mean but one covenant, men 
can never prove infant baptifm by faid covenant. 
9. God promifed that kings ftiould come out of 
Abraham. Gen. xvii. 6. And this was fulfilled in 
David and his race, and in the King Meffiah ; and 
this fhews that no man now can {land in fuch a rela- 
tion to his children as Abraham did to his. Aaron 
was alfo a type of Chrift, and his lawful pofterity 
were the only priefts in Ifrael until Chrift came, 
when the priefthood was changed ; and Chrift is 
both our king and prieft. Heb. vii. 12. And God 
fays to thofe who are born again^ among all nations, 
^' Ye are a chofen generation, a royal priefthood, 
an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye fhould 
fhew forth the praifes of him who hath called you 
out of darknefs into his marvellous light.'* i Peter 
i, 23. ii. 9. And fuch are the only priefts, and ho- 
ly nation, that are ever named in the church of 
Chrift. By his death he aboliftied all thofe ancient 
types, and formed his church of all fouls who are 
born again among all nations ; and officers in his 
church are never called priefts therein, in diftinc- 
tion from other children of God. Worldly 
churches have been built upon infant baptifm, 
which is not named in the Holy Scriptures. 



i8o2.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 247 



CHAP. XIV. 

A view of the Baptiji churches in South-Carolina. — In 
PennfylvaniaandNew-yer/ey. — InVirginia. — Pre/by- 
terians there, — A difference among the Baptijis healed. 
The caufe of equal liberty among thenu — A view of 
them in North-Carolina, — In Georgia, — Of Negro 
Baptijis, — Of the Baptijis in the State of New-Tork, 
~In Kentucky, — Of Affociations, — Of the number of 
Baptijis in all America, — Of late revivals, — Of their 
likenefs to the Jirji fathers of our country, — How in- 
fant baptifm originated, — A happy change in our gov- 
ernment, — Light from the cafe of Ifrael, — Of the lat- 
ter day glory. ' 

J_ RUTH and lave, and perfecution for the fame, 

caufed the firft planting of New-England ; and it 

alfo caufed the planting of Baptift churches in the 

fouthern parts of America. Some men from here, 

and fome from England, Wales and Ireland, all 

had a hand in it. When elder William Scraven: 

was cruelly perfecuted in the province of Maine, 

in 1682, he went to Charlefton in South-Carolinay 

and became paftor of a Baptift church there. How 

long it had been formed I know not. But when 

the Baptift church in Bofton wanted a paftor, and 

fent for him, who had been one of them, he wrote 

to them, June 2, 1707, and faid, " Our minifter 

who came from England is dead, and I can by no 

means be fpared. 1 muft fay it is a great lofs, and- 

to me a great difappointment ; but the will of the 

Lord is done." And he wrote again, Auguft 6, 

1708, and faid, " I have been brought very low by 

licknefs, but I blefs God, I was helped to preach, 

and adminifter the communion laft Lord's-day ; 

but am ftill weak. Our fociety are for the moft 

part in health, and I hope thriving in grace. Wc 

are about ninety in all." And his pafterity have 



248 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XIV. 

been honourable, and ufeful in thofe parts ever 
fince. Mr. Ifaac Chanler was a Baptift minifter 
among them for many years, and a book of his up- 
on the dodrines of the gofpel was printed at Bof- 
ton in 1744. Mr. Oliver Hart, from Pennfylvania, 
got to Charlefton in 1749, jufl after Mr. Chanler 
died, and was paflor of that church thirty years. 
But as he was heartily engaged for liberty in Amer- 
ica, he left Charlefton, before the Britifli forces 
took it, in 1780, and fettled as paftor of the Baptift 
church at Hopewell in New-Jerfey the fame year, 
where he was very ufeful, till he died in 1795. 
But the Baptift caufe has prevailed much in that 
State to this day. 

Thomas Dungen of Newport was one of the 
ligners of the requeft to Mr. Clarke, to go as their 
agent to England in 1651, the original of which I 
now have. And about 1684, two years after Penn- 
fylvania began, Dungen went there, and preached 
the Baptift principles among the people, with con- 
fiderable fuccefs ; and his pofterity are numerous 
among them ever ftnce. And about 1686, Elias 
Keach, fon to elder Benjamin Keach of London, 
came over to Philadelphia, a wild young man, but 
was foon after converted, and laboured earneftly to 
collecl the Baptifts together ; and they formed a 
church at Pennepeck, eleven miles from Philadel- 
phia, in 1688. Mr. Keach alfo was helpful in 
forming a Baptift church at Middletown, and 
another at Pifcataway in 1689 ; and one at Cohan- 
fey in 1690, all three in New-Jerfey. And thefe 
four, with that at Charlefton, were all the Baptift 
churches that were formed fouth of New-England,, 
before the year 1700. Many of thofe who confti- 
tuted the church at Cohanfey, came from Ireland ; 
though one of them was Obadiah Holmes, Efq. ar 
fon of the fufferer at Bofton in 1651 ; and others 
of his pofterity have fince been members of the 
church in Middletown. Pifcataway, on Raritan 



i8o2.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 449 

river in the Jerfey, fprang partly from people who 
came from Pifcataqua river, which has Kittery up- 
on the north fide of it, where the Baptifl: church 
was formed in 1682, who were fcattered by perfe- 
cution. Other members of thofe churches went 
from Rhode Ifland colony, as appears by the publi- 
cations of Mr. Morgan Edwards, in 1770, and 
1792. He was born in Wales, from whence alfo 
came many minifters and members of thofe 
churches ; and I took many of the above things 
from him. 

And he informs us of many people who came 
over from Wales in 1701, and refided near their 
brethren at Pennepeck, until they removed in 1703, 
and planted a church in a place they called Welih- 
tract, then under the government of Pennfylvania, 
but now under Delaware State. In 1770, they 
had increafed to ten churches in Pennfylvania, and 
668 members, befides a few who kept the feventh- 
day fabbath. He gives an account alfo of the Tun- 
kers, the firft of whom came from Germany in 
1 71 9, and had increafed to fifteen focieties, and a 
large number of communicants, who were not in 
fellowfhip with the Englifh churches. They dip 
perfons with their faces forward, three times over. 
They hold to general redemption, and are much 
like the old Quakers in their general conduct, 
though more Uriel than they are now. The Men- 
nonills alfo came from Germany, and are of like be- 
haviour, but they are not truly Baptifts now. 
Their fathers were fo in Luther's day, until con- 
finement in prifon brought them to pour water on 
the head of the fubjecls, inftead of immerfion ; and 
what was then done out of necefiity, is now done 
out of choice, as other corruptions are. When 
Edwards publiihed his book in 1792, the firfl-day 
Baptifts in the Jerfey had 24 churches, and 2994 
members -, and thofe who kept the feventh day, 
H u 



250 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XW. 

^ churches and 249 members. And in 1802, the 
Philadelphia AlTociation had 2695 niembers. 

North-Carolina had but little appearance of re- 
ligion in any part of it, until late years. Some 
Baptifl miniilers from New-Jerfey and Pennfylvania 
travelled and laboured there with fome fuccefs, 
and fome who went from New-England fettled 
there. Shubael Stearns was born in Bofton, Janu- 
ary 28, 1706; but he went to Connecticut, where 
he was baptized, and was ordained at Tolland, 
March 20, 1751, and continued there three years. 
But then his foul was fired with zeal to carry light 
into thofe dark parts ; and in Auguft, 1754? he 
and others fet off for that purpofe, and fome of 
them got into North-Carolina before him ; and he 
wrote to Conne^ficut from the fouth part of Vir- 
ginia, that they informed him from Carolina, 
*' That the work of God was great, in preaching 
to an ignorant people, who had little or no preach- 
ing for an hundred miles, and no eftabliihed meet- 
ing. But now the people w^ere fo eager to hear, 
that they would come forty miles each way, when 
they could have opportunity to hear a fermon." 
This was dated June 13, 1755 ; and Stearns went 
and fettled upon Sandy Creek, which runs into 
Cape Fear river, where he formed a church, No- 
vember 22, 1755, 'v^^liich increafed to 606 members, 
in a few years, and feveral other churches were 
foon formed round him. 

Daniel Marihall was born at Windfor in Connedli- 
cut, and after he was called to preach, he went and 
laboured fome time among the Indians, in the up- 
per part of New-Jerfey^ and then followed Stearns 
into North-Carolina, where he was very fuccefsful. 
And in and after 1758, many were converted and 
baptized near the fouth borders of Virginia, and 
they began an affociation in 1760, of live churches 
in Carolina, and one in Virginia, and they increaf- 
ed fall. On Oclober 16, 1765, Stearns wrote ta 



i8o2.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 251 

Conneclicut, and faid, " The Lord carries on his 
work glorioufly, in fundry places in this province, 
and in Virginia, and in South-Carolina. There 
has been no addition of churches, fince I wrote laft 
year, but many members have been added in many 
places. Not long fince, I attended a meeting on 
Hoy river, about thirty miles from hence. About 
feven hundred fouls attended the meeting, which 
held fix days. We received twenty-four perfons 
by a fatisfaclory declaration of grace, and eighteen 
of them were baptized. The power of God was 
wonderful.'* 

But we muft now come to Virginia, of which it 
may be faid, The firft is laft, and the laft firft. It 
was planted in 1607, the firft of all our Englifh 
colonies 5 and though it w^s done entirely from 
worldly motives, yet the werftiip of the church of 
England was eftablilhed by law, and no other 
worftiip was allowed of there for an hundred years. 
In 1643, three Congregational minifters went 
there, at the requeft of a number of the inhabitants, 
but they were forced to depart the colony, after 
preaching a few fermons. And direclly upon it, 
the favages were let loofe upon the Englifti, and de- 
ftroyed about five hundred of them. This one of 
them declared in England afterwards, where he 
again fuffered fromlEpifcopalians.* In 1644, Dan- 
iel Gookin left Virginia, and became a very ufeful 
man in the Maffachufetts for many years. t 

The firft Baptift church in Virginia was formed 
in Prince George county, in 17 14, by Robert Nor- 
den, wiio then came from England, and was their 
paftor till he died, in 1725. In 1727, Mr. Richard 
Jones was ordained their paftor; and in 1742, 
they had about 40 members, as one of them then 
wrote to Newport, which letter 1 have. About 

* Calamy's Account, vol. ii. p. 607. 
f Hiftorical Societj, vol. i> p. 228. 



252 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIV. 

the fame time, a man went from thence arid form- 
ed a church on the fea coafts of North-Carolina. 
But thefe all held to general redemption, and their 
churches are fince diSblved. 

In the mean time, religion was revived in Vir- 
ginia by other means ; for Samuel Morris, of Han- 
over county, was converted in 1740, by reading 
fome old books ; and upon his reading them to 
his neighbours, they fet up a meeting at his houfe, 
inftead of going to church. And in 1743, he ob- 
tained a book of fermons, taken down in fhort 
hand, as Mr. Whitefield delivered them in Glaf- 
gow, and printed there. The reading of thefe had 
fuch an effed: upon the people, that more came to 
hear them than his houfe could hold, and they 
built a meeting-houfe for the purpofe. He was al- 
fo called to read them in feveral other places, and 
many were afFecled thereby. But they were called 
to account for not going to church, and they plead- 
ed the acl of toleration for diiTenters, though they 
knew not what to call themfelves. At length they 
called themfelves Lutherans, becaufe they had re- 
ceived much benefit from the writinsrs of that re« 
former. And hearing of a wonderful preacher, 
near an hundred miles off, they fent for him, in 
July, 1743, and he preached to them four days, 
with exceeding great efFedl ; and he advifed them 
to pray and fing in their meetings, which they had 
not done before ; fo great is the influence of tradi- 
tion. Mr. William Robinfon was the man whofe 
labours had then been fo much blcfled among them; 
and when he was going away, they afked him what 
he called himfelf; he faid, "A Prefbyterian." 
" Then we are Prefbyterians too," faid they, " for 
your religion is juft like ours." 

They then fent for other minifters of that de- 
nomination, from Pennfylvania and New-Jerfey, 
and obtained help from them, from time to time, 
until Mr. Samuel Davies fettled there in 1748. 



i8o2.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 253 

And in 1 75 1, he publiihed an account of this work, 
and of other Prefbyterians in thofe parts. Mn 
Davies became the Prefident of Newjerfey college^ 
afterwards, and died there ; and his fermons are 
now much efteemed in Europe, as well as America. 
Thofe miniflers met at Philadelphia in 1789, and 
formed a fociety which they called, " The General 
Ailembly of the Preibyterian Church, in the Uni- 
ted States of America." In 1793, it was faid that 
they had about two hundred churches in all the 
States fouth of New-England.* But they have 
very few of them in the old part of Virginia, where 
the Baptifts have increafed greatly. 

Mr. Samuel Harris was born in Hanover county, 
January 12, 1724, and he was fo much efteemed, 
that he became a Colonel of their militia, a member 
of their Legiilature, and a judge of their courts, 
before he was converted in 1758 ; when he not on- 
ly became a Baptift preacher, but alfo much of a 
father among their churches for above thirty 
years. And fome minifters from Pennfylvania 
went and formed fome Baptift churches in the 
north part of Virginia, about 1760, who were not 
fully agreed with thofe fouthern Baptifts, for the 
following reafons : The Philadelphia affociation 
had adopted the confeffion of faith which was com- 
pofed by the Baptifts in London in 1689, with 
tlie addition of an article which required the 
laying on of hands upon every member of the 
church, w^hich the others did not hold. Some 
eminent minifters in England had alfo carried the 
dodlrine of particular election fo far, as to deny 
that any minifter had a right to addrefs the calls of 
the gofpel to all ftnners without diftinclion, and 
the Philadelphians had adopted this opinion ; and 
they called themfelves Regular Baptifts, while thofe 
who went from Conneclicut were called Separates. 

* Rippon's Regifter, vol. ii. p. 131. 



254 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIV. 

And there were unhappy contentions between 
them for many years ; for the New-England Bap- 
tifls in general do not hold to the laying on of hands 
upon every member, nor to the above reftridion 
of the calls of the gofpel. 

We generally believe the do<^rine of particular 
election, and the final perfeverance of every true 
believer, while we proclaim a free falvation to all 
the children of men, and even to the chief of fin- 
ners ; and we hold that God has appointed the 
means as well as the end, and the means in order 
to the end of every event. When the Jews were 
obflinate againft receiving Jefus as the true Mef- 
fiah, he faid, " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of 
heaven and earth, becaufe thou haft hid thefe things 
from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them 
unto babes. Even fo, Father, for fo it feemed 
good in thy fight. All things are delivered unto 
me of my Father ; and no man knoweth the Son, 
but the Father ; neither knoweth any man the Fa- 
ther, fave the Son, and he to whomfoever the Son 
will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that la- 
bour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft. 
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I 
am meek and lowly in heart, and ye fhall find reft 
unto your fouls : for my yoke is eafy, and my 
burden is light," Mat. xi. 25 — 30. The only rca- 
fon why any one is chofen, called and faved, rather 
than another, is becaufe fo it feemed good in the 
fight of God. But many men imagine that the 
choice and doings of men are the caufe of it, and 
fo w^ould take the glory of it to themfelves, in- 
ftead of giving it to God alone. God never fails 
of doing juftice to all, while he fays, " 1 will 
be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and 
will fhew mercy on whom I will fhew mer- 
cy." And his glory effentially requires this. 
Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19. Therefore he fays, " Is it 
not lawful for me to do what I will with mine 



i8o2.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. , ^SS 

own?'' Mat. xx. 15. The meaneft perfon upon 
earth has a right to give his o\vn property to 
whom he will ; and how mad are thofe who deny 
this right to the eternal God ! Many ruin their 
fouls by fighting againil God, but it is impoiTible 
for him to be deceived or difappointed ^ in any of 
his defigns of mercy, as well as of juftice. And 
free falvation by the Son of God is held forth to 
all men in the gofpel, as openly as the brazen fer- 
pent was to the camp of Ifrael ; and the condem- 
nation of all who do not receive him, is becaufe 
they bate the light. John iii. 14 — 20. Therefore 
the moft moving methods ought to be taken with 
iinners in general, to enlighten and turn them from 
fin to God. — Light concerning thefe things gained 
gradually among the Baptifts in Virginia, fo as to 
unite them as one people in 1787, and they have 
increafed much fince. 

Mr. John Leland, from whom I had many of 
thefe things, was born at Grafton in the MaiTachu- 
fetts, May 14, 1754; and after he was baptized 
and called to preach, he fet off with his young 
wife, in the fall of 1776, and went into Virginia, 
and fettled in the county of Orange. He travelled 
and laboured much in thofe parts, and had a con- 
iiderable hand in procuring the law for equal liberty, 
before inferted. Though the behaviour of Epifco- 
pal minifters themfelves did more towards it ; for 
many of them would play cards, fwear profanely, 
and get drunk, while they imprifoned about thirty 
Baptift minifters for preaching the gofpel to pre- 
cious fouls, without licence from them. This mov» 
ed their rulers to abolifh fuch tyranny. Mr. Le- 
land baptized about an hundred perfons in and 
near York-town, the year before the Britifh army 
was captivated there ; and in the whole he baptiz- 
ed above fix hundred in thofe parts. He publifhed 
a Virginia Chronicle, before referred to, and fome 
other things; and in 1791, he I'eturned to New- 



256 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIVv 

England, and fettled in Chefhire in the Maffachu- 
I ietts. 

But Mr. Stearns fpent his life in thofe parts, and 
died in peace, November 20, 1771. And the Bap- 
tifts have been increaiing in North-Carolina ever 
fince, and have been fo highly efteemed by their fel- 
low-citizens, that many members of their churches 
have been reprefentatives and fenators in their le- 
giflature, judges in their courts, and in other offi- 
ces of their government. 

Mr. Daniel Marfhall, after much fervice there, 
went on to Georgia, where he formed a church in 
1772, and was the paftor of it until he died, it be- 
ing the firft Baptifl. church in that State ; and his 
fon Abraham Marfhall has been paftor of it ever 
iince. The Baptifts have been the moft numerous 
of any religious denomination in Georgia, for 
many years paft. They have lately increafed much 
in Savannah, their capital* The late honourable 
Jofeph Clay, who had been one of the federal 
judges of the Diftricl Court, was ordained a Baptift 
minifter there, in January, 1804. There are many 
aiTociations in thofe parts, in one of which were 
fifty-fix churches, and three thoufand, feven hun- 
dred and ninety-fix members, in 1792; and they 
have greatly increafed lince. One minifter baptiz- 
ed about an hundred perfons there, in the year 
1803 ; and when the firft affociation of South-Car- 
olina met that fall, they received the report of Mr. 
John Rooker, one of their minifters, who had been 
fent to preach among the Catawba Indians, that 
his preaching among them was received with much 
attention, and they were very thankful for his be- 
ing fent among them ; and they not only defired 
him to come again, but alfo that a fchool-mafter 
might be fent to teach the Indian youth in human 
learning, and alfo in Chriftian principles. The af- 
fociation agreed to fend him among them again, 
and alfo a fchool-mafter, according to their requeft. 



i8o4.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 1s^ 

and to bear their expenfes. Some of the Englifh 
near them appeared to have a gracious work begun 
among them, and it was hoped that the Indians 
would fhare in the fame blelling. 

A great many Negroes in thofe parts have been 
converted and baptized, and fome of them have 
been called to preach the gofpel. George Liele was 
fo a little before our American war ; and in the 
time of it he fell into Britifti hands, and went 
down and baptized a number in Savannah, and 
then was carried to Jamaica, where he began to 
preach to the blacks in 1784 ; and he behaved fo 
well as to be favoured by the government there, 
and his fuccefs was fo great that he had 350 mem- 
bers in his church in 179 1.* And we have heard 
of much increafe among them fince. There is one 
fuch minifter and church in Virginia, belide a great 
number of blacks who have joined to the Engliih 
churches there. And Andrew Bryan has a large 
negro church in Savannah in Georgia ; and Mr. 
Abraham Marfhall affifted in his ordination. The 
Charlefton alTociation, in 1803, received an account 
from the Bethel alTociation, that more than four- 
teen hundred perfons had joined to all their 
churches in a year. Such has been the work in 
thofe parts. 

The firft Baptift church in the State of New- 
York was formed at Oyfter bay on LongJlland, 
Elder Robert Feke wrote from thence to Newport, 
November 29, 1741, and faid, " God has begun a 
glorious work among us, and I hope he will carry 
it on to his own glory, and the falvation of many 
fouls. There have been feventeen added to our 
little band in about three months." I fuppofe 
their church had not been formed long. 

* Rippon's Regifter, vol. i. p. 334. 
Il 



'V 



258 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIV. 

The firft Baptift church In the city of New-York 
was formed in 1762, under the miniftry of Mr. 
John Gano, who is fince in Kentucky. There were 
a few Baptift churches before, northward of the 
city, near Connecticut line. And foon after the 
Britilh army was captivated at Saratoga, in 1777, 
many fuch churches were formed in thofe parts, 
and they have been increaiing ever lince. And a 
large number of people have removed from New- 
England, and planted the lands near the heads of 
the Mohawk, Sufquehanna, and Genefee rivers ; 
and a Baptift church was formed in 1789 near the 
Otfego lake, which is the firft church in the Otfego 
alTociation, which was formed in 1795, and it in- 
creafed in three years to 28 churches, and 1292 
members. They have been increafing to this day, 
and have formed another affociation further weft- 
ward. Thefe affociations have fent minifters to 
preach to the Six Nations of Indians, and alfo 
among the Englifh in Upper Canada, v/here they 
have been well received, and an alTociation is form- 
ed there. Several Baptift minifters in thofe parts 
were preachers before in Congregational churches. 
If we look again to the fouthward, we may 
ftill fee greater wonders of grace, as well as of Di- 
vine Providence. 

The lands upon the river Ohio were fo much ef- 
teemed, both by the French and Englifti nations, 
that they commenced a war about them in 1755, 
which ended in yielding thofe lands, as well as all 
Canada, to Great-Britain. Our people began to 
plant Kentucky about 1777, and inhabitants have 
increafed fo much in that ftate, as now to have fix 
reprefentatives in Congrefs, which is one more than 
New-Hampftiire has. Many of the inhabitants 
went from Virginia, and the Baptifts have increaf- 
ed to fix affociations, and to 14076 communicants 
in their churches, as we had a printed account in 
1802. And there are a large number of fuch 



f8o4.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 259 

churches on both fides of the Ohio, befides thofe 
in Kentucky ; and they are fcattered into each of 
thefe United States. 

As afTociations have been often mentioned, I will 
now defcribe the nature of them. AiTociations 
had been very cruel and oppreffive in Conneclicut, 
as they were there eftablilhed by law ; and many 
Baptifts could not believe, for a long time, that 
they could be fo conducted as to be ferviceable 
any way ; and it has ever been difficult to keep a 
clear diflin^ion in our minds, between the real 
nature of things, and the abufe of them which is 
very common. When difficulties arife in churches, 
few have the patience and wifdom which is necef- 
fary, for the carrying the laws of Chrift into effect 
againft offenders, without looking to any earthly 
power for help in fuch cafes. 

The Warren Aflbciation was formed, September 
8, 1767, upon the following principles. They re- 
fufe to hear and judge of any perfonal controverfy 
in any of their churches, or to intermeddle with 
the affairs of any church which hath not freely 
joined with them. When any church defires to 
join with them, they fend meffengers and a letter to 
the affociation, fhewing when their church was 
formed, the faith and order of it^ and their num- 
ber of members. If fatisfaclion is gained, they 
are received by a vote of the Affociation, and the 
moderator gives the meffengers the right hand 
of fellowlhip. Each church is to fend meffen- 
gers and a letter, or a letter at leafl, to the annual 
meeting of the affociation, to give an account of 
the Rate of their church, and how many have been 
added, difmiffed, excluded, or that have died in 
the year. If this is neglected for a number of 
years, or if the church departs from her former 
faith and order, fhe is left out of the Affociation. 
In 1 77 1, they began to print the minutes of their 
annual proceedings, which any may have if they 



X 



25o A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIV. 

will. By thefe means, mutual acquaintance and 
communion hath been begotten and promoted ; 
errors in dodrine or condud have been expofed 
and guarded againft ; falfe teachers have been de- 
tedled, and warnings publiflied againft them ; def- 
titute flocks have been occalionally fupplied ; the 
weak and oppreffed have been relieved, and many 
have been animated and encouraged in preaching 
the gofpel through the land, and in new plantations 
in the wildernefs. 

A collection is made at our annual meetings for 
the widows and children of poor minifters. A 
fociety has alfo been incorporated, to colled: money 
to affift pious youths in obtaining learning, with a 
view to the miniftry. And a Miflionary Society 
is formed to colled: money for the fupport of trav- 
elling minifters, and to inftrud and dired them 
therein, according to their beft difcretion. And 
feveral of them have vilited many deftitute flocks, 
and fome have gone into Upper Canada, with 
great acceptance. 

The Warren Affociation has extended over all 
the old colony of Plymouth, and over the Maffa* 
chufetts as high as Connedicut river, and into the 
borders of three other States ; and its benefits foon 
became vifible to others. The Stonington Affocia- 
tion began in 1772, and it extends over the eaft 
part of Connedicut, and the weft of Rhode Ifland 
State. The New-Hampfhire Aflbciation began in 
1776, and it extends over the eaft part of that 
State, and over the county of York in the Dif- 
trid of Maine. The Shaftfbury Affociation began 
in 1 78 1, and it is in the fouthweft part of Ver- 
mont, the weft of the Maffachufetts, and eaft of 
New- York State. The Woodftock Affociation be- 
gan in 1783, and is in the eafterly part of Vermont, 
and wefterly of New-Hampfhire. The Groton 
Conference began in 1785, and it extends from 
Connedicut river near the fea, acrofs the State of 



i8o4.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 261 

Rhode liland, into the county of Briftol in the 
Maffachufetts. The Bowdoinham Affociation be- 
gan in 1787, and it extends over three counties in 
the Diftrict of Maine. The Vermont Affociation 
began the fame year, and it is in the northweft 
part of that State. The Meredith Affociation be- 
gan in 1789, and is in the northerly part of New- 
Hampfhire, and the adjoining part of Vermont. 
The Danbury Affociation began in 1790, and it 
extends from the fouth borders of the Maffachu- 
fetts, acrofs Connecticut to the fea, weft of their 
great river. The Leyden Affociation began in 
1793, on the north borders of the Maffachufetts, 
and it extends into the corners of New-Hampfhire 
and Vermont, on both fides of Connecticut river. 
The Richmond Conference began in 1795, and is 
in the northeaft part of Vermont. The Sturbridge 
Affociation began in iSoi, and it is in the fouther- 
ly part of the middle of Maffachufetts, and north* 
erly of Connecticut. 

Thus we have thirteen affociations in New-Eng- 
land, in which are 312 churches, and 23638 mem- 
bers, where there were but nine Baptift churches 
in 1700, and but five more in all America. We 
have alfo many other churches in New-England 
befide what are in thefe Affociations ; and I con- 
clude that in the whole of thefe United States, 
there are now ' about twelve hundred Baptift 
churches, and an hundred thoufand members. 
And the main of them have been formed within 
forty years paft. The work of God in late years 
has given much light to our old Baptift churches. 
The darknefs that was in the firft Baptift church 
in Bofton, caufed the forming of the fecond in 
1742 ; but light gradually gained among them, 
until they fettled a paftor there in 1765, who was 
clear in gofpel doctrines ; and religion was foon 
after revived there, and the two churches were 
united, and they have been increafing to this 



252 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XIV. 

day. They have gained fuch credit in our gov- 
ernment, that Dr. Stillman, pallor of their firft 
church, was called to preach the eledion fermon 
at Bofton in 1779, and Dr. Baldwin, paftor of the 
fecond, in 1802. In the fpring of 1803, I'eligion 
was again revived in Bofton, which ftill continues, 
and their two^ churches have' increafed to 640 
members. This work is now powerful in Charlef- 
town, Maiden, Woburn, Reading, Danvers, Salem 
and Beverly; the firft of which churches was formed 
in 1793, and the reft fmce, all within about twenty 
miles of Bofton. Our churches in general hold to 
the doctrines of grace, Chriftian experience, and 
the importance of a holy life, much as the chief fa- 
thers of New-England did. They differ very little 
from the fathers of Plymouth colony, only about 
infant baptifm. And though the fathers of the 
MafTachufetts made laws to eftablifh the govern- 
ment of the church over the world, yet when that 
power was loft, Bofton renounced the government 
of the world over the church, as we have proved. 
And this pradice cannot now be vindicated by 
Scripture, reafon, nor by the example of any of the 
fathers of New-England, for feventy years after it 
was pfanted. And it is alfo contrary to the general 
government of thefe United States. 

infant baptifm was not named in the holy Scrip- 
tures, nor in any hiftory, for two hundred years af- 
ter the birth of Chriii. And when it was firft 
named, minifters called it regeneration, Bccaufe 
Chrift fays, " Except a man be born of water, and 
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
God," they held that baptifm waihed away origin- 
al fin, and that infants could not be faved if they 
were not baptized. And becaufe Chrift fays, " Ex- 
cept ye eat the flefli of the Son of man, and drink 
his blood, ye have no life in you," they held that 
no perfon could be faved without eating the Lord's 
Supper J and they brought infants to it, as well as 



i8o40 OF NEW-ENGLAND. 263 

to baptifm. For the truth of thefe fa^ts, we appeal 
to the moft noted writings of the third and fourth 
centuries. A noted minifter of the third century 
faid, " It is for that reafon, becaufe by the facra- 
ment of baptifm the pollution of our birth is taken 
away, that infants are baptized.''* 

This, and more of like nature, was quoted by 
an eminent advocate for infant baptifm in our day, 
to defend the pradice, though not the opinion of 
its being regeneration. But the church of Rome, 
and the church of England, have long held that 
minifters could regenerate perfons by baptizing 
them. And they who renounced that pradice 
have been called Anabaptifts to this day. Natural 
afFedlion for children", and for the fick and dying, 
has caufed an amazing attachment to minifters 
who they thought could fave perfons from hell 
by baptizing them ; and from thence came the 
notion of the neceflity of an external fucceffion of 
minifterial ordinations, even through the corrup- 
tions of antichrift. 

But as fire and wind, as well as water, are of a 
cleanling influence, they are all made ufe of to ex- 
plain the nature of regeneration, which is efFeded 
only by the power of the Holy Ghoft. Mat. iii. 11. 
John iii. 5, 8. The work of fandification in believ- 
ers is carried on by the ordinances of baptifm and 
the holy fupper, but they are not fpoken of in 
Scripture as the means of begetting faith in any 
perfon ; for faith cometh by hearing the word of 
God. Rom. X. 17. But in all nations where min- 
ifters have been fupported by force, only one party 
of teachers and rulers have fhared in the gains of 
it, to the conftant injury of all the reft of the com- 
munity. And this way has been upheld by per- 
verfe difputers, who have fuppofed that gain was 
godlinefs. i Tim. vi. 5. But if the vengeance of 

* Clark's defence of infant baptifm, 1752, p. iii. 



^64 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XI?. 

God came upon men who were partial in his law^ 
what will he do to thofe who make partial lawa 
of their own ? Mai. ii. 9. 

And fince a door is now opened in our land for 
a clear deliverance from thefe evils, can any man 
be free of guilt if he tries to fhut it ? This confid- 
eration is enforced by late experience; for the 
man, who was the Chief Magiftrate of thefe United 
States for four years, was very fond of fuch partial^ 
ity* But a man was elecled into that office in 1 801, 
who is for equal liberty to all the nation. And if 
the Holy Scriptures are well regarded, we fliall be 
the happieft people upon earth ; for they fhew that 
every man, who is fit for a ruler, is like good trees 
and vines, which yield fweet fruits to all around 
them, without injuring anyone; and that tyrants are 
like the bramble, which would fet the whole com- 
munity onjire^ and burn up the beft characters in 
it, if they flood in the way of their gratifying their 
own lufts of pride and covetoufnefs. Judges ix. 
7 — 15. Therefore our Lord fays, " By their 
fruits ye fhall know them." Mat. vii. 20. And 
this fhould ever guide all electors of officers, as 
well as all men in office. 

A review of the dealino-sof God with his ancient 

o 

people, may afford much help to us all. For the 
higheft rulers in Ifrael had no right to make any 
laws at all, but were to govern the people by the 
laws of God, which he had given them by Mofes 
and the prophets. The tribe of Levi, in which was 
the family of Aaron, were to have the whole gov- 
ernment of their worfhip,and to offer facrifices upon 
the altar of God. Thofe offerings, with the tenth 
part of the produce of the good land which he had 
given them, were freely to be brought in annually to 
the place which God chofe, and the Priefls and Le- 
vites were to have their living in that way, and 
they were to have the care of the poor. Each man 
in Ifrael was to bring in thofe tithes and offerings 



i8o4.] OF NEW-ENGLAND. 265 

to the place which God chofe, in fuch a manner as 
to be able to fay before him, " I have brought a- 
way the hallowed things out of mine houfe, and 
alfo have given them unto the Levite, and unto the 
ftranger, to the fatherlefs and the widow accord- 
ing to all thy commandments which thou haft 
commanded me ; I have not tranfgreffed thy com- 
mandments, neither have I forgotten them. I 
have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither 
have I taken ought thereof, for any unclean ufe, 
nor given ought thereof for the dead ; but I have 
hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and 
have done all that thou haft commanded me. 
Look down from thy holy habitation, from heav- 
en, and blefs thy people Ifrael, and the land which 
thou haft given us, as thou fweareft unto our fa- 
thers, a land that floweth with milk and honey. 
This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee 
to do thefe ftatutes and judgments ; thou ftialt 
therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, 
and with all thy foul. Thou haft avouched the 
Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his 
ways, and to keep his ftatutes, and his command- 
ments, and his judgments, and to hearken to his 
voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day 
to be his peculiar people, as he hath promifed thee, 
and that thou ftiouldft keep all his commandments ; 
and to make thee high above all nations which he 
hath made, in praife, and in name, and in honour, 
and that thou mayeft be an holy people unto the 
Lord thy God, as he hath fpoken.*' Deut. xxvi. 
13—19. 

Thus we may fee that the fupport of religious 
minifters in Ifrael, as well as the poor, was to be 
done voluntarily, as each man would defire the 
blefling of God upon his labours, as well as the fal- 
vation of his foul ; and alfo that they could not be 
a holy people in any other way, but by obeying the 
K K 



2-66 A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIT, 

voice of God with all their hearts, and with all their 
fouls. And for any community to call themfelves a 
holy people, only becaufe they have an eftablifhed 
worfhip by the laws of men, enforced by thefword, 
is diredly contrary to the national worlhip of If- 
rael which was owned of God. Chrift was tempt- 
ed in all points like as we are, and the devil tempt- 
ed him to prefume upon being fupported by the 
promife of God, without going in the ways of his 
precepts. Mat. iv. 6, 7. Pfalm xci. 11,12. And 
laow full is the world of this iniquity ! 

The nation of Ifrael was advanced above all oth° 
er nations, when they obeyed the revealed will of 
God, in the days of David and Solomon, according 
to this promife. But in after generations they de- 
clined from that way, until God faid, " As troops 
of robbers wait for a man, fo the company of 
priefls murder in the way by confent.'^ Hofea vi. 9. 
*' The heads thereof judge for reward, the prieils 
thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof 
divine for money ; yet will they lean upon the 
Lord, and fay, Is not the Lord among us ? None 
evil can come upon us. Therefore Ihall Zion for 
your fake be ploughed as a field, and Jerufalem fhall 
become heaps, and the mountain of the houfe as the 
high places of the foreft." Micah iii. 11, 12. This 
prophecy was partly accomplifhed by the Babylo- 
nians, and fully by the Romans. And the Jews are 
now monuments of warnimy to all nations. Ifaiah 
XXX. 1 7. Thus prefent events prove the truth of 
revelation. 

Before the deftru6lion of the fecond temple, God 
gave the Jews a new warning, and faid, " Will a 
man rob God ? Yet ye have robbed me ; but ye 
fay, Wherein have we robbed thee ? In tithes and 
offerings. Ye are curfed with a curfe ; for ye have 
robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all 
the tithes into the ftore-houfe, that there may be 
meat in mine houfe, and prove me now herewith^ 



i8g40 op NEW-ENGLAND, 267 

f^ith the Lord of hofts, if I will not open you the 
windows of heaven, and pour you out a bl effing, 
that there fhall not be room enough to receive it.'* 
Mai. iii. 8—10. 

Here we may fee that a voluntary obedience to 
God about his worfliip and minifters, or the contra- 
ry, brought his bleffings or curfes upon his people ; 
and he now fays to people under the golpel, " Do 
ye not know that they which miniller about 
holy things, live of the things of the temple, 
and they v/hich wait at the altar are partakers 
with the altar ? Even fo hath the Lord ordained, 
that they which preach the gofpel ihould live of 
the gofpel." I Cor. ix. 13, 14. But as fome 
minifters of the devil had prejudiced many in the 
church of Corinth againft this apoftle, he refufed 
to take any fupport of them, though he faid " For- 
give me this wrong." 2 Cor. xi. 13 — 15. xii. 13. 
Thus it appears, that there is a ftronger guard fet 
againft deceitful teachers, by the iav/s of Chrift^, 
than there was by the law of Mofes. Yet fuch is 
the depravity of human nature, that the fupporting 
of minifters of the devil by force hath tilled the 
world with war and blood, under the name of 
Chriftianity, much more than the nation of Ifrael 
ever did. And this is now the greateft handle that 
i'niidels have to ufe againft revealed religion. The 
command is, " Let God be true, but every man a 
liar ;" while m»any bring the lies of men againft the 
truth of God, and fo difcover that he hath faid the 
truth concerning them. 

Upon the cafe before us, he fays, " Let him that 
is taught in the word, communicate unto him that 
teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived, God 
is not mocked ; for whatfoever a man foweth, that 
fliall he alfo reap. For he that foweth to the flefh, 
ftiall of the flefli reap corruption ; but he that fow- 
eth to the Spirit, ftiall of the Spirit reap life ever- 
lafting." GaL vi. 6 — ^^8. So that everlafting life, or 



26S A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch.XIV. 

endlefs mifery, are conneded with faithfulnefs or 
unfaithfulnefs in this affair. Yea, and thefe things 
are perfonal between God and individuals, as much 
as faith and unbelief are ; and therefore they are en- 
tirely out of the jurifdiclion of the magiftrate. And 
we have a glorious promife of God, which fays, " In 
the laft days it fhall come to pafs, that the mountain 
of the houfe of the Lord Ihall be eftabliihed in the 
top of the mountains, and it fhall be exalted above 
the hills, and people fhall flow unto it. And many 
nations fhall come and fay, " Come and let us go up 
to the mountain of the Lord, and to the habitation 
of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, 
and we will walk in his paths ; for the law fhall go 
forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Je- 
rufalem. And he fhall judge among the people, and 
rebuke flrong nations afar off, and they fhall beat 
their fwords into ploughfhares, and their fpears in- 
to pruning hooks ; nation fhall not lift up fword 
againfl nation,neither fhall they learn war anymore. 
But they fhall fit every man under his vine, and un- 
der his fig-tree, and none fhall make them afraid ; 
for the mouth of the Lord of hofts hath fpoken it. 
For all people will walk every one in the name of his 
god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord 
our God, forever and ever." Micah iv. i — 5. 

Now it is mofl certain that this prophecy hath 
never yet been fulfilled ; but it will as furely come 
to pafs hereafter, as ever the promife did of Chrifl's 
being born of a virgin. The mountains and hills 
here mean the kingdoms and ftates of this world, 
and the mountain of the houfe of the Lord, is the 
kingdom of Chrifl, who will fubdue all other king- 
doms, and reign forever. And he fays, " The 
kingdom, and dominion, and the greatnefs of the 
kingdom under the whole heaven fhall be given to 
the people of the faints of the Mofl High j whofe 
kingdom is an everlafling kingdom, and all domin- 
ions fhall ferve and obey him." Daniel ii. ^^^ 44* 



I MO OF NE W.ENGLAND. 269 

vii. 27. People fliall go up to the houfe of God, 
and perfonally obey his revealed will, as freely as 
the water Jlows in its channels. And what can be 
freer than water ? Every idea of force is excluded 
from the fupport of his w^orfhip ; and all the force 
for the fupport of religious teachers, that ever was 
ufed under the name of Chriftianity, was done by 
adding to his word. And Chrift fays, " I teftify 
unto every man that heareth the words of the 
prophecy of this book, If any man fliall add unto 
thefe things, God fliall add unto him the plagues 
that are written in this book ; and if any man fliall 
take away from the words of the book of this 
prophecy, God fliall take away his part out of the 
book of life, and out of the holy city, and from 
the things which are written in this book." Rev. 
xxii. 18, 19. 

O how folemn are thefe things ! Myftery Baby- 
lon was built by adding to the word of God, and 
by taking away what is plainly written in it ; and 
all religious eftablifliments by the laws of men, 
that ever wxre made in our world, were made in 
that way, and fo are parts of that great city. She 
is the mother of harlots, and flie hath many 
daughters. And as Chrift is the only head of his 
church, every community that fupports her minif- 
ters in the name of any earthly head, is a harlot. 
And in Babylon was found the blood of prophets, 
and of faints, and of all that were flain upon the 
earth. Rev. xviii. 24. The blood of Abel was 
flied by Cain, becaufe his own works were evil, and 
his brother's righteous, i John, iii. 12. And the 
guilt of blood will come upon all men who imitate 
old perfecutors. Mat. xxiii. ^,5^ 3^* ^^^^ God 
fays, " In the laft days perilous times fliall come ; 
for men fliall be lovers of their ownfelves, covet- 
ous, boafters, proud, blafphemers, difobedient to 
parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural af- 
feclion, truce breakers, falfe accufers, incontinent. 



a7^ A CHURCH HISTORY [Ch. XIV, 

fierce, defpifers of thofe that are good, traitors, 
heady, high minded, lovers of pleafures more than 
lovers of God ; having a form of godlinefs, but 
denying the power thereof : from fuch turn av/ay." 
2 Tim. iii. i — 5. 

Language cannot defcribe our times more exacl:- 
ly, than it was thus done by God, near eighteen 
hundred years ago. And how blind muft men be, 
if they imagine that godlinefs can be fupported by 
fuch charaders ! and yet fuch have equal votes in 
government with the beft men in it. The beft 
churches that ever fupported their minifters by 
force, had no more than a form of godlinefs ; and 
ail men have denied the power of it, who have de- 
nied that the laws and Spirit of Chrift were entire- 
ly fuiEcient to fupport his minifters, without any 
arm of llefh in the cafe. And God fays, " Hold 
faft the form of found words, which thou haft heard 
of me, in faith and love which is in Chrift Jefus.'^ 
And the form fays, '' All fcripture is given by in- 
fpiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction, for inftruclion in righte- 
oufnefs ; that the man of God may be perfed, 
thoroughly furnifhed unto all good works." 2 Tim, 
i, 13. iii. 16, 17. 

The men of the world are allowed to make laws, 
and to enforce them with the fword, to punifti im- 
moralities, and to keep the civil peace ; and real 
Chriftians are beft fubjed:s of civil government in 
the world, while they obey God rather than man 
in the form of godlinefs. And though the worft of wars 
have lately been carried onbyfea,yet it will hereafter 
be faid, " Look upon Zion, the city of our folemni- 
ties ; thine eyes fhall fee Jerufalem a quiet habita- 
tion, a tabernacle that fhall not be taken down ; not 
one of the ftakes thereof fhall ever be removed, 
neither fhall any of the cords thereof be broken. 
But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place 
of broad rivers and ftreams \ wherein fhall go no 



i8o4.] OF NE W.ENGLAND. 271 

galley with oars, neither fhail gallant fliips pafs 
thereby. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is 
our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will fave us. 
Thy tacklings are loofed ; they could not well 
ftrengthen their maft ; they could not fpread the 
fail : then is the prey of a great fpoil divided j the 
lame take the prey." Ifaiah xxxiii. 20 — "23. And 
though the merchants of Babylon, and her mar- 
iners, will make great lamentations for the lofs of 
their bloody gains, yet the Holy Spirit fays, " Re- 
joice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apoftles 
and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her.'* 
Rev. xviii. 20. The apoftles explained the proph- 
ets, and finifhed writing the book of God ; and 
heaven and earth will rejoice to fee his truth and 
juftice glorified. 



FINIS. 



IN our third volume are many accounts of 
particular churches, and of other things which are 
not in this volume, and it may be had by itfelf 
where this is fold. 



ERRATA. 

Page 10, line 34, r. apoftle. 

15, 1. 3, r. had, inftead of has. 
73, 1. I, r. the, inftead of that. 
212,1. 1 1, IS 1778, inftead of 1776. 




'r> 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



I 



029 794 679 1 




. ; 1 1 



